#which is a big thing throughout the MCU especially when it comes to cap characters outside the trilogy

[cacw]

episode 5 of FATWS is the only episode that feels like it was genuinely written with any care for the characters themselves. we could have had a whole season of Sam and Bucky caring for and helping each other and i understand why it took so long for them to get close but man the way it's written for the first 4 episodes is just so rough. like they're just kind of mean to each other and i feel like it's because the writers were trying way too hard to lean into the pseudo rivalry they had in CW. they're both such kind people i wish the writers cared about them at all. how do you manage to only get it right in one episode

[365days365movies]

May 9, 2021: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) (Recap: Part One)

Welcome to the future.

At this point, we’ve mostly looked at the past, present, or the near-future (as in, the next ten years, if that). Additionally, we’ve looked either at nonexistent technology in a contemporary setting, or an extension of existing technology taken to a logical next step. But no more. No more realism, no more real-world rules, and nothing that we’re even close to in this reality.

Well...mostly.

That’s genuinely impressive, not gonna lie. Anyway, yeah, from here forwards (for a bit), we’ll be looking at the future and futuristic technology. Now, there are a couple of ways in which these films tend to go. The first big way that we tend to represent the future in film is the same way we always have: flying cars, futuristic technology, smart houses, and robots.

Now, there are countless examples of this future, and it always changes a bit depending on the present. Which, yeah, makes sense. After all, what I’m doing right now, at this moment, would’ve been seen by many people as a massive technological achievement, even around the time that I was born. Which, yes, I’m old, deal with it (because I can’t). Anyway, the way that this begins is with the first major filmed view of a seemingly idyllic future: Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis.

The overly mechanized (and politically dystopic) society seen in this film, as well as the visuals and technology, would inform our ideas of the future throughout the next century. Multiple themes and common objects reoccur throughout futuristic fiction. You know the stuff I’m talking about. Flying cars, automatic food machines, robotic assistants, video watches, holograms, jetpacks, so on and so forth.

But here’s the thing about the future. It’s always ahead of us, and eventually...well, we’ve gotten to most of those things to some degree. Either they already exist...

...or is currently being developed.

Well, one of them we’re still working on. And the development of more advanced AI is something we have yet to perfect, or even fully develop. However, the development of A.I. (and the consequences of that technology) are ALL OVER science fiction. Sometimes, they’re merely used for flavor to help establish the futuristic setting.

Sometimes, they’re characters with their own agency and conflicts, which may or may not define the plot. In these cases, they’re often simply there to back up the main human characters, and help with their development, and sometimes their own. You know, manic pixie dream robots.

And then, possibly most often, they’re the abject villains of the piece. they can be mysterious alien technology, like in The Day the Earth Stood Still, or a man-made danger that turns on the race that created and/or abused it.

But then, on occasion, an A.I. is given the chance to develop as a character, without being used to define the development of a human character. Sometimes, the question of what life truly means is raised through these characters, and we become attached to them outside of any other character. This isn’t nearly as common as the others, but it’s definitely not unheard of.

And for the record...things don’t often go well for those AIs. But still, some of those characters have quite a lasting impact. So, there’s quite a lot of potential for this type of character, from a dramatic standpoint. And that potential leads us to the guy who made this.

I WILL MAKE A JURASSIC PARK REFERENCE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE

Steven Spielberg gives us today’s entry, and this director of a classic science fiction story about science gone awry teamed up with the director of a science fiction film where an artificial intelligence went awry. You know, this thing.

I didn’t forget about HAL. And I won’t forget about him later, either.

Director Stanley Kubrick is pretty well-know for his mind-bending films, especially The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But he also worked with Spielberg on this film before his death in 1999, as this was one of his dream projects for many years, and the two directors were well-known friends.

And so, eventually, Spielberg was given the reins from Kubrick, and results were...mixed. It’s funny, because I’ve never actually seen this movie, but I remember it through its surprisingly widespread ad campaign. I used to go to NYC as a kid a lot, and there was a massive building-side plastered with the iconic logo of this movie. So, I’ve been hovering around this movie for a long time. Enough navel-gazing!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (Part One)

It is, unsurprisingly, the future. A marrator informs us that climate change has caused the ice caps to melt, and global flooding drowns several countries. You could say that it’s a...Waterworld.

I genuinely considered watching that movie at some point, and then I decided I liked myself to much to watch 2 hours of Kevin Costner’s emotionless acting. Granted, it’s not much better now, listening to the emotionless acting of...

Professor Allen Hobby (William Hurt) is a straight-up sociopath. OK, technically, he’s a robotics engineer, but dude’s making a speech, right? He talks about how far robots have come, dissing my boi Deep Blue in the process, and notes that pain-memory response can also be demonstrated by robots. He proves this by stabbing a woman in his audience, like RIGHT through the hand. Jesus, man! Why the hell would you do that?

Oh. Holy shit, I got fooled. Advanced technology indeed. But OK, so Sheila’s a robot, and a very advanced one...to us. But Hobby wants more, and proposes to his workers to make a robot that can really TRULY love. And through love may come a true subconscious, which means making a robot that can dream. And what better robot to make than a robot child? After all, all child conception requires a license in this futuristic world, so many childless couples are yearning for a child.

Which is why, twenty months later, the first robot child is offered to Henry and Monica Swinton (Sam Robards and Frances O’Connor), a couple...with a child. Um. Guys. You JUST SAID that there are legit childless couples who need a child, and those people would be best suited to love that robot child back (a VERY GOOD question raised by one of Hobby’s subordinates). So why give it to a couple whose son is still alive? Yeah, he’s got a rare disease that they don’t have a cure for yet, and is currently in cryostasis, BUT THEY HAVE A KID! Surely, that’s going to be a potential emotional conflict! And what if the kid wakes up or some shit? This is a TERRIBLE goddamn idea. Think this shit through, guys.

And yet...

This is David (Haley Joel Osment), Cybertronics’ first child robot, brought home by Henry to essentially replace their son. Which is AMAZINGLY FUCKING TONE-DEAF AND INSANE, GODDAMN. That’s extraordinarily messed up. And, for the record, I totally get what Spielberg’s going for, but Jesus Christ, man. This was a terrible way to go about this. And it gets fucking WORSE.

See, Henry (who actually works for Cybertronics) tells Monica that, once they sign the papers and complete the updates, David will imprint on them and see him as their true parents, loving them unconditionally. Which...yeah, fuck, that’s an entire DUMP TRUCK of ethics issues right there. And, while we’re at it, David is...creepy as shit. I mean it, dude, Haley Joel Osment is a VERY good child actor, but he’s laying on the creepy robot child thing THICK. And yeah, this is BEFORE he imprints on them. Jesus fuck, man, there’s a scene where the still uncomfortable Monica is outside of a glass door, and he looks back at her THROUGH THE DOOR like a goddamn SERIAL KILLER.

And I gotta tell ya, dude does not lay off that creepy-ass dial one iota. And for that matter, the music by John Williams ISN’T FUCKING HELPING. LISTEN to this shit, and imagine a robot child that you don’t know wandering around your house. It’s amazingly fucking creepy.

AND IT JUST. KEEPS. GETTING. WORSE. There’s a scene where they’re all at dinner, right, and David’s just staring at them as they eat, mimicking their actions. After all, he’s a robot, he can’t actually eat or drink anything because of his internal working. And then, out of FUCKING NOWHERE, he starts laughing like the FUCKING JOKER, and it scares the EVER-LOVING SHIT OUT OF ME. And somehow, they laugh alongside him, in the never-ending Stockholm syndrome that is this movie! And as soon as its over, he just STOPS laughing, spontaneously. Fuck me, man, I’m tempted to stop watching here and now, and I’m only TWENTY MINUTES IN! I need a fucking break.

And after that...OF COURSE she decides to activate his imprinting protocols to make him, let me remind you, LOVE HIM FOREVER! She reads out a series of words, and after “FREIGHT CAR”, he knows his mission is to kill the Prime Minister of Sokovia. But first, he’ll settle down and love Monica unconditionally (again, FOREVER), calling her Mommy and making me shit my pants in fear. IT WASN’T ME, IT WAS FUCKING DAVID

Oh, and by the way, isn’t it kinda shitty to do that without Henry being involved AT ALL? Like, cool, he has unconditional maternal love, but Henry wasn’t a part of that conditioning at all! And he still refers to him as “Henry” instead of Dad! However, Henry definitely doesn’t care about that, because he still sees David as only a robot. Hey, guys, maybe using these two as your first experiment with a robot child WAS A TERRIBLE FUCKING IDEA, YOU IDIOTS! No wonder William Hurt was cast as Thunderbolt Ross in the MCU. Already shown he can play a character with shitty ideas before.

Anyway, after this terrible series of events, David prevents the parents from leaving one night due to his childlike antics. When Monica goes to comfort him, he asks how long she’ll live, and tells her that he hope she never dies, a COMPLETELY NORMAL THING TO SAY. Look, I get that he’s a robot, but only a goddamn emotionless sociopath would program emotional responses like this into a robot. Which, given what we’ve seen of Hobby, makes sense.

In response, she gives him Teddy (Jack Angel), a technologically advanced teddy bear with sentience, a personality, and the voice of Astrotrain from The Transformers TV series. Because, yes, I am THAT MUCH of a goddamn nerd.

Soon after, the house gets a phone call, which David receives...literally. He takes the phone and allows it to speak through him. It turns out that, shock beyond shocks, THEIR SON IS CURED! Yeah, fuck. Maybe giving David to a family with a STILL LIVING SON is a fucking ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE IDEA, for about a thousand reasons.

And, fucking understandably, Martin Swinton (Jake Thomas) is a little upset to find out that he’s essentially been replaced by a robot kid. Although, to be fair, he’s also kind of a dick to David, holding his humanity over him and treating him as a toy that he attempts to manipulate and bully. My Lord, this is a massively stupid idea. And Martin immediately shows his dickishness by asking his mother to read Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio to them. Which is meant to be a punishment for Pinocchio. However, of course, David loves it.

Still, however, there’s trouble in paradise for David, as he tries to compete with Martin for being a real boy, and eats spinach at dinner one evening. Despite Teddy’s mildly ominous warning to him (”YOU WILL BREAK”), he keeps eating until he basically has a stroke and breaks, forcing him to be repaired by some of Cybertronics’ technicians. Monica has a bit of a break down as a result, which Martin notices. This causes Martin to go pure supervillain, manipulating David to do creepy things in order to insert doubt into Monica about David. Jesus, Martin’s a creepy kid, too. No wonder Monica grew to be cool with David, her actual son is a FUCKING SOCIOPATHIC MONSTER! Are there ANY truly normal people in this world? IS THIS WHAT THE FUTURE IS?

Martin convinces David to cut a lock of Monica’s hair while she’s sleeping. And lemme tell ya, a little boy holding scissors over someone while they sleep is not exactly comforting. Henry agrees, and after stopping him, believes that they need to return him. Monica disagrees, knowing that they’ll destroy him if brought back. But David, ever the semi-sociopath himself, ignores any signs of humanity in David and dismisses Monica's feelings for him entirely. He also says this thing about “IF HE CAN BE PROGRAMMED TO LOVE, CAN NOT HE BE PROGRAMM-ED TO HATE?”, which...no. No, he cannot. He didn’t learn to love, he was programmed to. And, again, that’s ethically FUCKED, but taking that into account...no. HE WASN’T PROGRAMMED TO HATE, HENRY. Goddamn, buddy, use your head here.

It’s Martin’s birthday, and his friends at the pool party expose David to the fun world of anti-robot (or Mecha) racism, and test to see if he has Damage Avoidance Systems by threatening him with a knife. And he does. Buuut, when those systems kick in, he goes to the nearest point of safety to keep himself safe. That point is, unfortunately, Martin, whom he gets behind...and accidentally drags into the pool.

Thing is, because of Martin’s recent illness, he can’t exactly swim, meaning that David almost drowns him. When Henry and other partygoers go to save him, they abandon David in the pool completely. And now, David’s fucked. Because although this situation isn’t even a little bit his fault, he also just nearly killed Martin. And so, after seeing notes that he’s been writing to her, Monica offers to take for a “ride in the country”. Which definitely means something good. In reality, she’s planning on taking him back to Cybertronics. But once in the car, there’s a change in plans. And hear me out...it’s arguably far more horrifying.

She decides to abandon him in the woods completely, despite how hard it is for her to leave him. She’s sparing him from death, sure, but also throwing him into a world he doesn’t understand, and for reasons that he doesn’t understand. It’s genuinely terrible. And then...yeah, she leaves him forever, to an uncertain future.

End Act One.

I think this is a good place to stop. It’s early, and I need more coffee to handle this shit. See you in Part Two. Of Three. Yup. It’s a long one.

[thecinematicalgorithm]

Falcon & the Winter Soldier - Sam Wilson: Captain America?

I’m kind of late to the party, seeing that we’re now 3 episodes in to the long-awaited MCU series featuring Cap’s best buds, but as I’ve been away from Tumblr for some time I’ve decided what better way than jumping back in by analyzing a show that I’ve been looking forward to since its announcement. Also, Bucky Barnes has been one of my favorite characters in the MCU since The First Avenger, and I couldn’t pass up on breaking down his complicated psyche in the course of this show. So here goes, and be forewarned spoilers lie ahead!

When we left off with Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame, Steve had just handed down the Captain America shield, passing on the century-old icon and legacy. I felt this was not only a good choice on Steve’s part, but the only choice. Yes, I know it had been some debate for awhile over whether it would be Sam or Bucky to take up the mantle, but despite the comics I never really liked the idea of Bucky as the Captain, especially given his role as the Winter Soldier. He has too much dark history that, while not his fault, is too damning for the world to look at him as a symbol. Not to mention that Bucky is just far too weary and done with the world’s shit to even want to take up that role.

Sam however, is much better suited for the role and there are many reasons as to why. Firstly, Steve chose him. This is actually a critically important reason that I want to hash out now because, as I’m sure you well know, the end of this episode introduced a new character that, suffice to say, is missing that critical element. Flashback with me to 1942 when Steve sat in a recruitment center where he met Dr. Abraham Erskine, creator of the serum that gave Steve his incredible strength and abilities. It was here that Erskine saw, not a soldier or a warrior or even a hero, but simply a good man wanting to do the right thing. Throughout Steve’s basic training Erskine watched him, and when the time came he chose him for the experiment that would produce the first superhuman, telling Colonel Phillips, that Rogers was the “clear choice”.

Why is this an important detail in Steve having chosen Sam to take up the mantle of Captain America? When Erskine ‘chose’ Steve there was no Captain America mantle. No shield to hand down. Erskine was merely looking for a man who would not turn into some form of monster if injected with his serum. Right? In fact, despite there being no legacy at the time, I believe Erskine did know, or at least suspected that choosing Steve for this role wasn’t just about avoiding another Red Skull catastrophe. He knew he was creating something that would change the course of the war, the military, and history itself. He had no way of knowing what the future held for Steve, but he knew Steve would need to be the same man he saw in that recruitment center. That’s why he took the time to tell Steve to remain who he was, and why his last action before his death was to point at Steve’s heart, effectively telling him, “Stay who you are!”

Steve Rogers, from the beginning, was always the man who fought for “the little guy”. The underdog. The oppressed. The bullied. Erskine chose Steve because he was “the clear choice” even though that clarity was not evident to nearly anyone else. As he said, “...a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."

Now, Sam is definitely not a weak man. Quite the opposite actually. He doesn’t even have super soldier strength and yet he’s able to tackle the “Big Three”. However, by the second episode we see exactly why Sam would be able to understand and defend the proverbial “little guy”. The Captain America films have never shied away from real-world issues that give the plot relevance and Marvel is continuing that pattern by giving voice to the oppression that the African-American community still faces to this day, and it’s about damn time. It is also diving deep into PTSD, mostly in regards to Bucky, but for now I want to focus on Sam.

The scene in which the police single out Wilson as he argues with Bucky shows us not only why the world needs a symbol to look up to, but also why Sam is the right man for the job. At the time when Steve was chosen, he was not the “ideal man” to everyone around him. He was not the alpha male. He was small, sickly, artistic, gentle and kind. He did not want to go overseas to “kill Nazis”. He was the underdog. But the world needed him. The world needed a soldier who would defy orders to do the right thing. A man who would not change his beliefs, or stoop to his enemies level. A man who uses his power to fight for others.

To the world around him, Sam may not be the ideal man but as Erskine would say, “he is the clear choice”. He has all of that as well as the life experience of someone who belongs to a minority that is stereotyped and pre-judged and oppressed.The introduction of Isaiah, and his place in the MCU history (or lack of I should say), is sadly far too realistic. Sam’s horror was justified and it’s something he will not be able to let go and do nothing about.

I think as the show continues Sam will come to realize that the mantle of Captain America, or that of Steve Rogers, isn’t about the icon or the legacy. It’s simply about doing the right thing, even if against orders, and always, no matter what happens, “staying who you are”. A good man. And this is why Steve chose Sam. He saw a good man that he knew would remain true to who he was and would always fight for “the little guys”. 

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave your comments, and keep an eye out for my next analysis on Bucky Barnes! Have a great day!

[luninosity]

Okay! Time for a slightly longer Avengers: Endgame thoughts post!

First, I do really, really like the film overall, so let’s get that out of the way right now: I had moments of wanting to cheer, tearing up, all that, and I want to see it again immediately.

Having said that...I do have Some Thoughts, which are not 100% positive.

Spoiler warnings, obviously! Only read if you’ve seen/don’t mind spoilers!

First, the AWESOME. OH MY GOD SO MUCH AWESOME.

--STEVE IS WORTHY OH HELL YES *screams in delight* And Thor’s genuine excitement about this! So perfect!

--STEVE ROGERS STANDING ON THAT BATTLEFIELD FACING DOWN THANOS’S WHOLE ARMY. This is a brilliant Steve Rogers character moment, it’s a brilliant narrative moment, it’s a gorgeous shot visually, it’s EVERYTHING -

--AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE SHOWING UP AT HIS BACK, YES YES YES, I WANTED TO CHEER AND CRY, LOOK AT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND FORMING UP BEHIND STEVE AND “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE” AND *screams more*

--Valkyrie getting to be king! She already has ideas for change! It’s a small moment but so satisfying, seeing where she is now versus her introduction in Ragnarok.

--”AMERICA’S ASS”

--actually everything about that Steve-on-Steve fight scene, Chris Evans’ delivery of every single line, the name-drop of Bucky being what worked

--I actually really love pretty much all the time hops, and Tony going with “Howard Potts” as his alias is both hilarious and heartwarming

--Morgan! Tony being a Good Dad! 3000!

--cheeseburgers, oh god my heart, this moment actually made me tear up

--Tony’s death felt well-earned, satisfying, and in-character, and that “I am Iron Man” - oh god yes, see above about in-character and also heartwarming and heartwrenching simultaneously

--Sebastian Stan continues to be very pretty

--Thor doesn’t magically get his old pirate-angel body back - I have a LOT of other less positive thoughts about this representation, which we’ll get into in a sec - the thing is, I do like this one aspect of it, because he doesn’t need to be magically “healed” of his fatness or anything like that; he’s chubby and damn heroic and still good at being a hero, and speaking as someone who always struggles with weight, that was actually really lovely

--Paul Rudd continues to be weirdly superhumanly likeable

--Gamora’s reaction to Star-Lord

--Nebula! Karen Gillan is fantastic throughout, and so central to the storyline

--Sam taking the shield! I love this - Bucky’s tired of the fight, which Steve knows; Sam has the heart and the will, and he deserves it, and Bucky’s clearly fine with that, and I’m so excited to see Sam Wilson as Cap

--just everything overall felt so fulfilling, like, yes, this is good, thank you, MCU, thank you

The Ambivalent (sure, yeah, okay)

--Clint and Nat: I actually really like Nat’s choice and sacrifice, doing it knowingly, and it also feels in-character for her as a dedicated protector; I don’t quite get why we’re pushing Clint to the forefront so much in this movie when he’s been so absent, and I dislike the implication that he somehow has more to live for because he’s got a biological family, versus Nat’s found family

--Thor’s killing of Thanos and the “I went for the head” and also the arm - yeah, look, you learned something! But also...it really just makes you *not* doing that in Infinity War seem...even dumber. But at least you learned, I guess?

--the Girl Power(tm) moment in the final battle. You know, the super-unsubtle obvious shot. Like, part of me went YES!! and another part of me cringed because WOW, that felt...not at all organic and incredibly staged

--Steve Rogers part one: I don’t actually mind that he took a side trip and saw Peggy and got some closure. It’s a nice nod to the end of First Avenger. And I love Steve getting to retire - not die - as Cap: he can still do so much as himself, maybe art or activism or support groups or all of the above, and he deserves a chance to find out who Steve Rogers is when not Captain America. Having said that, this is ambivalent because I really don’t like how it was done. More on that later.

--I love that Harley showed up at Tony’s funeral, but at first neither I nor Awesome Husband knew who the random person even was. We figured it out, but if you don’t know, it’s really unclear

--Carol. She’s wonderful and amazing in every scene she’s in, but also...weirdly...underused. Were they afraid she was too powerful?

--maybe I’m just kinda over Chris Pratt, I don’t know, but a lot of his dialogue didn’t land right for me? Clunky. Trying too hard to be funny? Maybe.

--I don’t really understand how time travel works in the MCU, but whatever, let’s just roll with it

--Loki! Fantastic to see again, also underused, but I’m very curious to see what’s next

The Not So Positive

--ALL the Thor fat jokes. This is a big one, and it pulled me out of the movie as I was watching it, as this kept happening. It’s obviously a serious manifestation of his trauma and PTSD, and yet pretty much every single character cracks a joke, and no one actually tries to support him. I’m...not a fan of that. (Side note: having just rewatched Infinity War, there’re fat jokes there too, about Quill. Do the writers/directors have an issue with fatness?)

--after Nat dies, there’s a whole lot of scenes of Rooms Full of Only Dudes, and Primarily White Dudes, at that, directing the narrative

--speaking of, how about a memorial service for Nat?

--Steve Rogers part two. (We’ll get to Steve and Bucky in the next point; this one’s about the time travel.) Like I said above, I don’t mind him wanting to take a side trip and get closure; he deserves that. And if I’m understanding MCU time travel right, he created an alternate branch, so “our” reality still all happened and everything. So. My first problem here is that we can assume he spent that alternate reality still Being A Hero - fighting evil, saving Bucky, getting into a happy triad of Steve/Peggy/Bucky if you want to imagine that - but we’re not shown any of that. We’re shown him...suddenly pining a lot for Peggy, which feels odd anyway: part of Steve’s arc has been him finding his place in this new century and his new found family. And then we’re just shown the dance. SHOW US STEVE AS A HERO IN ALL TIMELINES, PLEASE. But I digress. If this is a branching timeline, the way Steve shows back up on the bench shouldn’t work. He shouldn’t just live through all the years and wander over to the bench at the right time, because he’s not in the right timeline for that. (Maybe there’s something we’re not shown, like him tinkering with his time travel GPS? If that’s the case it needed to be much clearer.) There’s also no particular reason he needs to get or stay old (maybe he wants to experience aging, idk?) - we’ve established that we can de-age, for example, Scott. And Steve Rogers is a stubborn kid who will always want to be able to fight whatever might be coming - even if he’s still retiring as Cap, doesn’t he want another few decades with his current family - Bucky, Sam, Clint, Morgan Stark, everybody? Now he’s...much older than everyone, physically and mentally, and I guess that can still work but...it’s going to be a whole strange adjustment for him and for everyone...but anyway, the time travel as it’s shown seems to...break their own rules, and also I don’t like how suddenly emphasized his desire for Peggy is in this film, and I don’t like having to just sort of...guess about what Steve does in that timeline. (Also, side note: why is *only* Steve returning all the stones? Wouldn’t having a partner be helpful? In case things go wrong, as things so often do? AS WE’VE SEEN IN THIS VERY MOVIE.)

--STEVE AND BUCKY. This is the other big one. We all know I am a Steve/Bucky fan, but honestly I’m not even factoring that in here. It’s not about shipping. It’s about the fact that Steve’s narrative arc, Steve’s character arc, has been so entwined with Bucky up to now - and here they barely interact. The person Steve lost - the person Steve keeps losing - is Bucky. The person Steve shares memories of couch cushions and moving in together and Sarah Rogers’ name with - is Bucky. We’ve had to the end of the line, we’ve had even when I had nothing I had Bucky, we’ve had (paraphrasing here, I know it’s not an exact quote) he said Bucky’s name and suddenly I was a kid in Brooklyn again, we’ve had all of Winter Soldier and the relevant parts of Civil War, we’ve established over and over, canonically, that Steve and Bucky save each other. Bucky knows Steve even through brainwashing. Steve fights to save and protect Bucky. They love each other. (Friends love each other. It’s okay to show that.) They sacrifice for each other. And that relationship - in a film that’s meant to be a culmination, a wrapping-up, and closure for Steve Rogers - is almost entirely absent. And I’m not okay with that, emotionally and also as a narrative choice for Steve’s arc - like, as a writer (and English professor!) myself, this legitimately bothers me. I don’t feel fulfilled and I don’t feel happy about it. Especially not - as in the article I reblogged a bit ago - when we’re given other reunions, like Tony’s joy at getting “the kid!” back, with real pathos. I know the film’s already over three hours, choices have to be made, etc. But we could’ve had fewer fat jokes and a few more seconds of Steve and Bucky interacting, y’know? I just...I don’t like it. It doesn’t feel good or right.

Okay! Those are my thoughts.

Once again, I really really like the movie overall, and overall I am left happy and wanting to watch it again. That’s true. There’re just...some things.

I may or may not attempt to write my fix-it fic. There are so many already and I’m not sure what I could add that’s new, and I think I still don’t understand MCU time travel. But I also really want to deal with some of these emotions. We’ll see.

[kittyprincessofcats]

MCU movies ranked by how well-written Loki was

Well, one person did tell me to post them, so here we go. This list ranks the 6 MCU movies Loki appeared in - solely based on how well-written he was. This list disregards how good/bad I thought the movie was otherwise, and also doesn’t factor in how well the story treats the character - it’s based just on how much I agree or disagree with Loki’s characterisation. (In other words if he gets brutally murdered or treated like shit by his family, that doesn’t necessarily mean he himself was ooc.) Also, this is of course just my opinion and very much up for debate :)

This ended up getting kinda long, sorry - I just really like talking about Loki :D

ALSO THIS LIST CONTAINS ENDGAME SPOILERS

6th Place - Thor: Ragnarok

Yeah... Sorry, I know people love this movie, but it really deserves last place on this list. Now, to be fair, I didn’t completely hate how Loki was written here, there definitely were some nice moments (”I’m here”), but overall I felt like the movie played Loki’s trauma for laughs to much, made him the butt of a joke too often and didn’t make him stand up for himself like he did in his previous movies - which is one of the things I liked most about him. I also didn’t like that the movie tried to retcon him into someone who’s been hurting Thor his whole life, or that they made his “redemption” involve forgiving Odin. And even though this movie is praised for its “anti-colonialism” message, it really fails to address that Loki was one of the biggest victims of Asgard’s colonialism and that Odin never really changed his ways after banishing Hela.

And beyond that, I just felt like there was something slightly “off” about how Loki was written here. It was his first time back on the big screen in 5 years, and somehow it just didn’t feel like the same character anymore. Ragnarok was the only movie Loki was in where I went out of the cinema and didn’t feel the need to read tons of fanfic about him. At first I thought it was just because I’d moved on in those 5 years and wasn’t as invested in his character anymore - but then Infinity War happened and (despite killing him off) absolutely nailed Loki’s characterisation and brought my love for him back full force. And that’s when I realized I hadn’t moved on - Ragnarok just hadn’t gotten Loki right.

5th Place - The Avengers

I initially wanted to place this higher, mainly because it’s such an iconic movie (that I really like) and because so many of Loki’s most iconic and well-known lines are from this one. Tom absolutely plays the sassy, charming but vulnerable trickster to perfection here. Then why is is to so low on my list? First of all, because I feel like there was a giant personality shift for Loki between this movie and the first Thor. Loki has previously stated that he never wanted the throne (of Asgard) and now he suddenly tries to conquer earth and we’re not really meant to question it.

Now before you all say it - Yes, I’m aware that Loki was tortured by Thanos between this movie and the last one. And while the movie doesn’t explicitly tell us that, I think between him looking like hell and limping in his first scene and his scene with The Other (”He will make you long for something as sweet as pain”), the implications were clear enough. Plus, there’s the whole revelation that the mind stone influenced his thinking. So yes, I think his personality shift is understandable - BUT I wish the movie itself had made that clearer instead of leaving it to fans to connect the dots and understand why Loki is acting so different now.

And lastly, I don’t like his “mewling q**m” line to Natasha. I think it’s incredibly misogynistic on the writers’ part (ahem... Joss Whedon again), and it’s also incredibly ooc for Loki, who subverts gender roles, is genderfluid himself if we go by the comics, and has always been shown to respect women, especially his mother. So I don’t feel like using gendered insults is something he would do.

4th place - Avengers: Infinity War     

Yes, the scene was horrible. Yes, it broke my heart and made me angry at the Russos. No, I don’t have the desire to rewatch it. BUT the one thing I do have to give this movie credit for is absolutely getting Loki’s character right. This was the movie that reawakened my love for Loki after Ragnarok failed to do so. Tom’s acting throughout this scene is brilliant and heart-wrenching and the dialogue features some of my favourite Loki lines. I mean: ”For one thing, I’m not Asgardian - and for another, we have a Hulk.” “The sun will shine on us again.” “You will never be a god.” Loki finally acknowledging himself as “not Asgardian” and “the rightful king of Jotunheim”? Loki repeating “We have a Hulk” - symbolizing that he’s on the same side as the Avengers now? Loki looking his biggest fear in the eye and choosing to sacrifice himself for his brother? GOOD SHIT. That’s some good shit right there!

Even Loki attacking Thanos with a butter knife isn’t necessarily ooc - He didn’t do it because he thought it would work, he was simply out of ideas and decided to distract Thanos and save Thor. He knew he would die. And if you tell me that wasn’t absolutely heroic then I don’t know what is. Though I do agree that the writers (not just of this movie, but of all of them) seem to have forgotten all the powers Loki is supposed to have and I’m also annyoed that they just make him stab people instead. And also, I don’t like that Loki calls himself “Odinson” in this scene. Forgiving Odin shouldn’t be a part of his redemption, bla bla, we’ve been over this. I like to headcanon that that part was more meant for Thor than Odin.

3rd Place - Avengers: Endgame

I know what you’re thinking - Does Loki even have enough screentime in Endgame for it to be on this list? And yeah, good point. It’s hard to be completely ooc when you basically have two minutes of screentime and I did consider leaving it off the list for precisely that reason. But, I mean COME ON. I just had to give a shout-out to how absolutely iconic those two minutes were. Imitating Cap? Sarcastically waving at the Hulk from the elevator? Dramatically rolling his eyes when Thor mentions Odin? Grabbing the tesseract at the first chance and just noping out of that horrible mess of a movie? ICONIC. Two minutes of screentime and he somehow stole the show. When could your fave ever?

2nd Place - Thor 1

This is the movie that made me fall in love with Loki in the first place, so obviously it had to be high on this list. The way he was written (and acted) here was absolutely beautiful, his story is heartwrenching in all the right ways, he makes all the wrong choices but as a viewer you understand why he makes them. He’s presented to us as this outcast who doesn’t quite fit in, who’s always in the shadow of his brother, kind of gets bullied by his brother’s friends, yearns for his father’s love - and who one day has to deal with the realisation that his life was a lie and that his father resents him for something beyond his control. The confrontation between him and Odin in the Vaults is still the best Marvel-scene ever, hands down.

Fun fact: I literally first watched this movie because I wanted to know “who that Loki-guy is and why people love him so much”. I finished watching the movie and was like “Ah. I get it now.”

My only complaint would be that they deleted all the scenes that explained Loki’s motives and made him more sympathetic. To be honest, I sometimes forget that they’re “deleted scenes” because I’ve watched them so often that I just consider them canon.

1st Place - Thor: The Dark World

Honestly, it was close between this one and Thor 1. I love them both, but while I think the first one is a better movie overall, Loki’s portrayal in the second one is probably my favourite. He starts the movie already disillusioned with his family and spends it unafraid of calling them out on their mistreatment of him. This is the movie where Loki won’t be silenced about the injustices he’s suffered, and I love that about him. I also love how he just replies to threats with sarcasm now (”You’ll kill me? Evidently, there will be a line.”).

I also like that his movie gave more depth to his relationship with Frigga, and also showed Loki being heroic: Helping Thor, never betraying him, protecting Jane, sacrificing himself for Thor. In fact, I stick by what I said before: Loki wasn’t a villain in this movie. There isn’t a single evil thing that he did in this film. NOT ONE.

I also love how this movie makes Odin’s hypocrisy more evident than ever (Telling Loki they’re not gods and that he shouldn’t think himself above Midgardians, but telling Thor he shouldn’t date Jane because Midgardians are “goats”... You get the idea). I also like the contrasts painted between Odin and Loki and how they think about Thor’s relationship with a mortal - Odin tells him he shouldn’t date Jane because she’s “beneath” him, Loki tells him he shouldn’t date Jane because she’ll die one day and that’ll break his heart. And that’s just one of the many contrasts between them in this movie.

And THAT ENDING! Thor getting his only bit of good parenting ever and it was actually Loki - Loki still being alive - Loki sitting on that throne. HELL YES.

(I seriously don’t get how people thought that ending meant Loki was evil? Hello?? He just freed Asgard from a totalitarian dictator? Last time I checked that was a good thing? Have some people not gotten the memo that Odin’s evil? This movie in particular was very clear about that.)

My other rankings: Thor | Steve Rogers | Natasha Romanoff

[komodoclassic]

(Endgame spoilers)

So one of the coolest things about Endgame is how it showcases the growth of the franchise as a whole, and I don’t mean just in terms of character numbers (although that was also pretty cool, especially in the big shot). I mean growth in the way directors and writers approached making the movies, in tone and what they show onscreen. And the best example of this is when the Avengers go back in time to 2012, where we see the current Avengers alongside the events of the original Avengers movie.

Avengers is cool. It’s dramatic, it’s visually interesting, it plays to the strengths of having these characters together on the big screen for the first time and sets the foundation for everything else. Characters can make mistakes, but they are very cool throughout the entire movie. Snappy one-liners abound. The least dignified thing to happen to a character is Hulk slamming Loki around, and that’s a very noticeable departure from the overall tone of the movie. Avengers is an excellent first ensemble movie for the franchise. It does everything it needs to do, and--and this is the key--it takes itself pretty seriously.

The later movies don’t do that.

There’s a fairly distinct turning point here, and it’s in 2014. Winter Soldier is pretty serious. Sure, it’s funny, it experiments a little with the characters, and yeah, the good guys get banged up, but it’s all in the interest of furthering the plot with a serious tone and an eye toward drama. But what else came out in 2014? Guardians of the Galaxy. And that’s the turning point. Because Guardians was absolutely crazy when it came out. It’s unabashedly fun, it’s not dignified, the Guardians are not cool. They’re dorks. They’re dysfunctional. The movie is telling a story about heroes who do dumb shit and trip on things and make jokes that don’t land. The approach is different. It takes itself less seriously, and it was a smash success. People loved it. Guardians was a huge hit, and Marvel saw that that worked. That they could make their heroes less heroic and more human without compromising the badassery or the story.

That’s where it starts. Guardians was hugely different in approach when it was released. Then the tone shift starts to creep into the rest of the series. First it’s Ant-Man, which is much sillier. Then a few lines in Civil War, a little here and there in Doctor Strange, a ton in the high school setting of Homecoming. Ragnarok is a riot. Black Panther lets undignified shit happen to its hero in the first ten minutes. The movies don’t take themselves quite so seriously anymore, and the stories they tell are more believable for it.

By the time we get to Endgame, these are very different movies. And when the Avengers go back to 2012 and we see New York from a different perspective, there are two distinct faces to it. One, Avengers canon, with the original six standing in a circle as the camera whirls dramatically around them, sassing Loki and saving the day with all the panache you could ask for. And two, the scenes added to the original timeline for Endgame, where they have to do shit like put up with Loki’s Cap mimicry and make Hulk take the stairs. In 2012, Hulk taking the stairs would never have been added to an MCU movie. It’s not cool enough. It’s silly. It’s almost embarrassing. In Endgame, it’s hilarious.

And yeah, I just think that it’s a really good illustration of how how far the franchise has come and how much it and the fanbase have grown, and part of me was sitting in the theater going crazy over how great the juxtaposition of the original tone and the current tone was. When they got back to 2012 and I realized exactly what this movie was going to do, I was absolutely delighted. Endgame is the culmination of everything the MCU has been building toward since 2008, and it’s just about the best conclusion I could have asked for.

[pwnyta]

Full Endgame spoilers/review:

(TL;DR: It was really fucking good. Theres some bad obviously but overall worth it. Even after reading the spoilers and feeling like I may not like it as much as I thought I would... I actually liked it more.)

- - So as I said I loved the movie I had some gripes but overall I thought it was one hell of a fun, entertaining movie. I'll go by each characters story in my review saving Cap and Tony for last.

Natasha- Honestly? Though I think the MCU dropped the ball on the 0G6 being a believable family... I think Nats role in this movie was sweet. I really like the scene where Tony Nat and Bruce were laying down talking about Strange and the stones. It was really cute but it really made me wish we got to see this earlier. Joss dropped the ball hard in AoU. Ive said it one and I'll say it again. AoU should have been the movie where the Avengers were a solid unit throughout the movie.Nats death was... heroic but honestly her and Clint beating the shit out of each other because neither could stand the thought of the other being sacrificed was kinda funny and cute which is jarring to the story. It kinda sucks that she was fridged before the final battle though.

Clint- What are the fucking odds that every one of his family was dusted? But w/e. Clint having a wild sword battle in Japan... it was ridiculous and weird and IDK what they were thinking with that scene but it was played really dramatically but I laughed? Cuz it was so over the top and silly... even though he just slit that guys throat and Nats like :c Clint~ honey no its fine... and they hold hands over the guys warm corpse. LMFAO WHAT!? Im at least happy his kids got him back if nothing else.

Bruce- ... Bruce with Hulks big green body? NICE. Thats gonna have some interesting fanart I can already tell and I lift my glass to you. I once tried to draw a little comic where Bruce and Hulk separated but also had swapped bodies.... so Bruce had Hulks body but I never did finish it I wonder if I still have it saved somewhere. Anyways. Honestly? I found Bruce in this movie to be equal parts funny and annoying? Like it was a bit jarring sometimes that he was so lighthearted despite everything.

Thor- When I read the spoilers I thought I was gonna really dislike Thor but watching it I understood where Thor was coming from and I couldnt really blame him for spiraling and its not like anyone close to him seemed to even check up on him despite clearly knowing where he was. Im really sad that it took all those years and only until he was needed for someone to try and talk Thor through what he was going through. Im not annoyed with Thor. Im annoyed with the rest of them (minus Tony and I guess Clint? Considering.). Bruce was his friend in Ragnarok, Nat keeps talking about them being family, and Steve is their leader where the hell were they? Unless im missing something... I guess Valkyrie too but shes been picking up his slack as a leader and was holding the Asgardians together so I can cut her some slack. ANYWAYS. Thor was kinda funny in the movie but it was kind of hard to enjoy his goofiness. It kind felt like Tony in IM2. Speaking of Im glad Tony seemed really tolerant of Thors drunk behavior... I was sure he would throw a lot of shots like Rocket did. I wish they had a moment to talk about Thor self medicating with booze... Tonys been there. I get why they couldnt really but.. His scene with Frigga was really nice. Frigga is a bad bitch raised by witches and shit.... she knows all~ A wise woman that Frigga.

Scott- HOLY SHIT Did I love Scott in this movie. He was soo funny and cute... and bullied a lot. You know I have a thing for easily bulliable character. And Scott just got spanked left and right. His helpless goofiness reminded me of Harry from KKBB a little. He bounced off everyone well and it makes me kinda wish he was one of the OG6 instead of Clint. He was more of the heart that kept the Avengers together than anyone. Also him and Tony talking about Caps ass? HILARIOUS. Bisexual icons honestly. 'That suit did nothing for your ass.' 'No one asked you to look!' 'I think you look great Cap as far as Im concerned thats Americas ass!' and then later Caps all 'That IS Americas ass.' Unbelievable. But his best scene is still him reuniting with Cassie. She was so big! Im so happy she got her dad back... but Bruces failed time travel machine scene.... that was a close second. 'Somebody peed my pants... idk if it was baby me or old me........ or me me.' Also the 'whats up regular sized man' scene is longer and more hilarious than the preview showed. FUCK YOUR TACO SCOTT. At least Bruce is nice to him. I ship GreenAnt a little. Rocket petting Scott and mockingly calling him a puppy. SAME.

Rhodey- JESUS RHODEY. Speaking of hilarious idiots. Im glad he got a bigger roll in this movie but he didnt hug Tony when he got back so whats the point? BUT W/E... He was hilarious and amazing. It was nice to see him step up as one of the sorta leaders after the snappening. But he was also A HUGE FUCKING DORK THE ENTIRE WAY THROUGH. Thinking that a secret cavern with a spooky name would be boobytrapped like in Indiana Jones and trying to convince Nebula to be careful. Naming a bunch of shitty time travel movies to prove a point about time travel (with Scotts help) and going back in time to kill baby Thanos...and Bruce was like 'yeah... no...' and him fucking TRASHING the magic of the iconic opening scene of the first GotG where Quill is dancing.... 'so hes an idiot?' RHODEY PLEEEEAAASSSEEEE have mercy. Him and Nebula are a trip. Also I made a note to mention Don Cheadles BEAUTIFUL soft voice. So here it is. I love Don Cheadles beautiful soft voice. He had too few scenes with Tony but their first scene when Tony starts freaking out and hes trying to get Tony to calm down was pretty good... and god that ending.... ;-; How come Rhodey got NO lines while Tony was dying? But also in the same position I dont think Id have any words either. I too would just cry. And did... for Tony. But yeah besides his lack of scenes with Tony I really loved Rhodeys scenes. I usually do. Hes adorable.

Nebula: Sweetie... You are just amazing. Shes legit one of the best most solid characters in the movie. The opening scenes between her and Tony? FUCKING adorable. Im sad we dont see more of them after the time skip. I also wish we got a longer scene of Neb and Rocket talking when she gets to earth... I guess just seeing them sit together sadly was enough to portray the emotions but.... I MEAN. More Nebula wouldnt hurt anyone. Having to see two tortured versions of Nebula was upsetting. Future Nebula who lost so much and past Nebula still under Thanos' thumb. 'You can change!' 'He wont let me' OOF. Im sad that past Nebula was killed... but appreciate that even in that moment past Gamora was upset to see her be killed. Im glad with Present Neb, Gamora was so easily heel-face turned. She loves her sister. Also their moment after past Gamora beats up present Quill was hilarious 'Really? This is the guy?' 'The choices were him or a tree.' WHAT ABOUT DRAX, NEBULA?! I know I said I may not watch any MCU movies after this but I might tune in for GotG3 for Nebula (and Thor).

Steve: I actually ENJOYED Steve in this movie for the most part. For the first time in any movie... even by himself I kind of enjoyed Steve. Especially the scene when hes fighting himself and his past self says 'I can do this all day' and hes like 'Tst... yeah I know... okay' Like he was sick of his own damn bullshit. And frankly? Same. Also him whispering 'Hail hydra' to get the scepter? Hilarious. I cant help but see it as a knock at that shitty Hydra Cap comic that everyone hated. But despite me enjoying Steve for most of the film... the MCUs inability to write a good romance and pretending like Steve and Peggys relationship was a peak or something completely undoes it all. It would still NOT BE GREAT regardless but the fact the RUSSOS are the ones who brought Sharon into TWS in the first place makes it SO MUCH WORSE that Steve dipped out. Steve should have moved on... even if it wasnt with Sharon. They could have at least MENTIONED HER but they knew they couldnt because then it would be too highlighted that Steve is a fucking FUCK BOY who used the niece of the woman he loved as a surrogate and that him going back to the past means hes gonna be meeting little Sharon at some point. Also? Really? Steve you have this whole new family you supposedly love and can live your life with but you rather go back in the past because the first woman who was nice to you was there? Move on. Its so fucking weird that hes so obsessed with her. You have your childhood friend and the rest of your new friends... and supposedly a girlfriend. IDK how anyone could be happy with that ending for him. But I guess its in character... remember the note he sent Tony 'I've been on my own since I was 18.' What about Bucky? He was there with you and you had family in the Avengers supposedly. Natasha seemed to think so. YOURE SUCH A FUCKIN SCUMBAG STEVE. Jesus.

Tony: First of all Id just LOVED his scenes with Nebula as I said. He sat there patiently teaching how to play paper football and held her win. It was REALLY cute. When he passed out she picked him up off the floor and sat him down on the chair and pat him. REAL CUTE. He nicknamed her 'The Blue Meanie' its cute and he tried to give her the last of their food but she insisted he eat it. Bobbos eyes never looked more gorgeous than in that scene where Carol finds them honestly. Tonys I told you so was really really sad. It had a lot of feeling like that scene in AoU when he laughs hysterically and starts ranting? Rhodey tried to calm him down but he just ripped into Cap. Also he yanked off his arc reactor and I FULLY JUMPED IN PANIC because I forgot it wasnt in him. I fully flinched. But he pulled his heart out and gave it to Steve and then passed out. Tony and Peppers daughter is ADORABLE. And her interactions with Tony are so sweet. Domestic Tony is lovely. I love that when Steve and the gang roll up on him Morgan runs out during their discussion and is like 'Mom told me to come and save you....' and hes like 'Well Ive been saved!' REAL CUTE. Also he swore and his daughter copied him and hes like NOOOOO!!!!!!! LMAO. LANGUAGE Tony. Tony is motivated to fix things seeing that pic of him and Peter. Hes such a softie. IM REALLY REALLY SAD that we finally see Pepper kinda GET Tonys need to be Iron Man and is like 'But could you rest?'. The one time she encourages him to go back to be Iron Man and he fucking DIES. Im so sad for Pepper. But that scene between them where shes like 'We'll be ok.... you can rest now.' FUCK. Im crying again. That scene between him and Steve- 'Someone shoula warned you~' 'You did...' 'Oh did I? Thank god Im here' has the same energy as 'Who taught you how to dance?' 'You did.' 'Well Ive done a marvelous job!' It was pretty great. Tonys nicknames for Scott are 'Pissant' and 'Thumbelina.' Im not OVERLY fond of his scenes with Howard. But honestly? My brother is the same way with our dad... he just chooses to forget the bad stuff and focus on the few good times. I cant do that but if it made Tony happier then VERY WELL. I wish Tony coulda talked to Jarvis too tho... just a word... anything? Best Tony scene is Peter babbling about how he musta passed out because Tony was gone and and and and Tony just hugs him so tightly and Peters hugs back and is like :D 'this is nice'! Though that STARK contrast of them after Tony uses the gauntlet... and Peter is like 'Mr Stark... we won... we did it... no Mr Stark...' Big Simba and Mufasa feels (and kind of Hughes and Elicia tbh). Not cool Disney. I was already crying. Rhodey was the first to reach Tony and Tony couldnt say ANYTHING to anyone and Rhodey just pets his cheek... Tony was just looking around as his family just has to watch helplessly as hes dying and Pepper tells him its ok. His funeral was really nice. He recorded a message for everyone kind of like his message for Pepper on the ship. Everyone was there... I think even Harley (Im really sad we didnt see them get reunited even once). The scene with Happy and Morgan was really sweet. 'I'll buy all the cheeseburgers you want....' It was cool to because... ya know.... Jon Favreau. He got a really beautiful end. I wish he could just retire and live with Pep and Morgan... but if he had to die... that was a really lovely sendoff. SO ALL IN ALL. Awesome movie. I didnt get to see past elderly Steve passing the shield off to Sam... I'll have to rewatch it again when theres a better version. Especially for that fucking STUNNING end battle. Even with the shitty cam I watched it looked AMAZING and I cant wait for it in HD.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael In the Mainstream - Avengers: Endgame

Endgame is a film that is really more than a film. This is a cultural milestone. This is the culmination of a decade’s worth of stories told by all sorts of different creative minds, a set of stories that all managed to have consistent character growth and development, a grand finale to ten years with all sorts of beloved and iconic characters. This film is the twilight of the age of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, and the dawn of a new era of fresh heroes, heroes whose stories we’ve only begun to experience. This is something that has never been done before, a massive storyline told throughout twenty plus films coming together in a big shared universe to deliver an awesome, climactic final confrontation between characters we know and love and a villain we love to hate. There’s never really been a film of this magnitude before.

I have loved the MCU since it began when I was a teenager. I had just started high school when Iron Man first came out, and it just amazed me how good it was. Unlike the year’s other superhero film, which was based on one of the Big Three of Marvel’s Distinguished Competition, I didn’t really have any sort of huge expectations for Iron Man. Like sure, I was aware of who he was, I knew he was a classic Marvel comic character, but he wasn’t Spider-Man or the X-Men, the characters I grew up watching in cartoons and who I was intimately familiar with. Hell, I even knew the Hulk better than Iron Man. But boy, did that change fast; Robert Downey Jr.’s incredible performance, the fun writing, the gripping character study, and the solid action all got me interested in this washed up B-list hero who had spent the most recent arc of his comics becoming the superhero version of Hitler.

And that was a running theme for the MCU. I ever cared too much about characters like Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man, or Black Panther when I was younger, and I didn’t even know characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy were a thing. All of this was just beyond my knowledge. And yet, these films made me care about these characters, got me invested in them. It’s something that with a few rare exceptions the X-Men films completely failed to do. I honestly can say after all is said and done I love Iron Man, Captain America, and the Guardians way more than I do Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm, which is not something I would have ever guessed I’d say a decade ago. And growing up with all these characters and seeing them go through these films, going into this one I knew there had to be some big dramatic payoff, some sense of finality. You can pull of stuff like massive retcons and everyone coming back from the dead in comics, but in movies? That’s how you lose viewers. I knew they’d really have to blow our minds with this, especially after the brutal gut punch that was Infinity War.

And for the most part, they truly delivered.

Endgame is a satisfying conclusion to the epic first decade of the MCU, closing the doors on some stories but opening up a world of possibilities on others. And while there are some problems here and there, the overall product is just so good that it’s easy to forgive the flaws, though it is easy to see why some would be a bit less forgiving. Still, even more critical folk than me admit that regardless of problems this is still a good movie.

This movie has three acts, and I will be going over each individually. There are going to be SPOILERS here, because there is just so much to unpack with this film, so consider this your warning. Again, SPOILERS BELOW.

The first act picks up where the Avengers were left at the end of Infinity War: broken, defeated, and desperate. Despite Carol saving Tony and Nebula from deep space, things seem pretty hopeless, until an energy signature is picked up revealing the whereabouts of Thanos. The Avengers rush to confront him, eager to steal back the Stones and right what went wrong… but upon arriving, they find Thanos broken, scarred, and worst of all, utterly without the Stones. He destroyed them all so his work could not be undone. He has completely, irreversibly won. And so when Thor brings Stormbreaker down and cuts off his head only a short while into the film, it does not feel triumphant or thrilling. It feel sad, miserable, and bitter.

I think this is probably one of the better twists in the first act. The pace at the beginning is rather slow until they confront Thanos, and it ultimately works in the movie’s favor as it makes the horrific revelation hurt all the more, and then following it up with a time skip of five years later is just rubbing salt in the wound. It also helps cement the original Thanos as a truly unique villain. He not only won, but he died knowing he won. He was victorious in death for five years, and there was nothing any of the heroes could do about it. It seems a bit anti-climactic when you first think about it, but really this end to the original Thanos is a rather fitting conclusion of his character arc from Infinity War. He won, he watched the sun rise on the universe… what more could this Thanos really do?

The time skip shows what all the heroes have been up to in the interim: Steve is running support groups  for survivors, Tony has married Pepper and has a daughter, Natasha has been in contact with the remaining heroes, Clint has been out brutally murdering criminals as Ronin, Banner has managed to keep his intellect as Hulk and become a relatively famous figure, and Thor has basically become an obese drunkard wallowing in his failure. Our heroes are at their absolute lowest point… until one little rat walks over a control panel on a van in a storage unit and frees Scott “Ant-Man” Lang from the Quantum Realm.

I will say that a lot of the latter half of the first act, the part that sets up the “Time Heist” of the second act, drags on a bit, and this is really the portion of the film that will make or break it for you. You need to really be invested in these characters, you need to be ready to handle the ways they’ve dealt with the knowledge that they have lost. Thor’s fate especially has been contentious, with people crying foul that throughout the movie the Russos did nothing but “undo” all the development Taika Waititi gave him, which is quite frankly such a stupid argument it’s not worth addressing. What IS worth addressing is how Thor’s trauma, unlike most of the other Avengers, is played for laughs. For some, seeing Thor as a fat, slovenly drunkard is going to be a bit upsetting and tasteless; for others, the black comedy will cross the line twice and make it rather funny. That aspect is definitely going to help or hinder your enjoyment of this segment.

Even that aside, it does really feel like it takes a while to get to the real fun part of the movie, though it’s not as if anything in the first act is truly bad, per se; it’s just very character-driven as opposed to exciting and thrilling. If you’re into character-driven drama, then you’ll really dig this, since all of the performances here are excellent, with Paul Rudd in particular really showing off some impressive range and Scarlett Johansson actually managing to impress me with her emotional performance. Seeing Hawkeye become a complete and total badass who slaughters his way through thugs is also a refreshing change from the absolute joke he has been in previous films, and his winning streak in act one is happily carried throughout the film, completely redeeming Hawkeye. There’s also a lot of good comedy here as it builds up into the time heist, particularly Rhodey’s suggestion of what to do with baby Thanos or the ill-fated test run of the time machine.

I think it is important to note that unlike most films that deal with the subject, the movie actually gives clear, definitive rules on time travel: you can’t go back to the past and alter your present, any changes you make only succeed in creating a split timeline resulting in an alternate universe. This does not allow them to go back and kill Thanos before the Snap, but it DOES allow them to go back to times when they could reasonably steal the Infinity Stones and use them to undo the damage done. This is actually a pretty solid take on time travel and an easy take to grasp at that, though as I will mention later, this simple and clearly explained version of time travel has somehow left people confused. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Act two is where the movie really picks up steam, as the remaining heroes split into groups and head back to points in time where they get to experience moments from beloved Marvel films (and Thor: The Dark World) as they retrieve the Stones. Cap, Tony, and Ant-Man go after Loki’s scepter and the Tesserect following the battle of New York as seen in The Avengers, which leads to a lot of hilarity including Cap fighting his past self and an elevator scene that not only calls back to the one from The Winter Soldier but also features the redemption of one of the most awful moments in modern comics with one of the single funniest lines in the entire film; Hulk wanders over to the Sanctum Sanctorum and argues with the Ancient One for the Stone in the Eye of Agamotto; Rocket and Thor go back to the period of time where Jane Foster was at Asgard to steal the Reality Stone from inside her, which leads to Thor getting a touching reunion with his mother as well as an opportunity to snag Mjolnir; Nebula and Rhodey get to go to the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy and witness Peter Quill dancing and singing to himself like a moron before knocking him out and stealing the Stone; and Black Widow and Hawkeye go to Vormir to confront the Red Skull for the Soul Stone. I’m sure you can imagine how that one goes.

This part of the movie is a lot more fun with how varied it gets. There’s plenty of comedy, action, and character moments, and it just feels a lot more fun than the first act. Seeing how characters that rarely interacted or even never interacted in the past bounce off each other is really delightful, particularly Rhodey and Nebula. Of course, there is also great moments of development, such as when Steve and Tony botch their initial Stone theft and have to go back even further in time, which leads to Tony getting a heartwarming moment with his father while Steve is reminded of Peggy. And then, of course, there is Black Widow and her character arc coming to a close, as she heroically mirrors Gamora’s tragic fate.

There has, of course, been a lot of argument over Black Widow’s fate here. Here’s my take on it: Black Widow’s character arc throughtout the films has always been a desire to scrub the red from her ledger and find some meaning to her life. Age of Ultron, for all its flaws, shows she thinks of herself as a monster, and truly just wants to make a connection, find a group she has something in common with. With the Avengers, she found just that, she found the family she never had, she found something worth living for, fighting for, and ultimately dying for. Her sacrifice wasn’t some sad attempt at shock, it wasn’t her being stuffed in the fridge to further the character arcs of her male costars, it was her character arc becoming fully realized, it was her understanding that to save those she loved she had to make a choice, and it is the most utterly selfless and heroic act in the entire movie, and maybe even the entire franchise. Everyone would have lost if not for Natasha. She is probably the most heroic character in the movie… well, with one exception, but we’ll get to him shortly. The point is, her sacrifice carried more dramatic and thematic weight than if Clint had sacrificed himself; Clint is very much an underrealized and underutilized character, and while this movie improved him, it was still not enough to make his sacrifice as painful as Black Widow’s.

Act two comes to a close with heroes grieving Black Widow and preparing the Stones for a Snap to bring everyone back… unfortunately, they don’t realize there is a traitor in their midst: Nebula. Not out Nebula, but Nebula from 2014, prior to her character development. You see, Thanos could still access the future Nebula’s video recording eye since her software is still on the same server even in the future (it’s a bit weird but it still makes a bit of sense). 2014 Thanos finds out about his future self’s victory and becomes furious that any would try and undo his “mercy.” And so he enacts a plan to get him to this future and kill the Avengers once and for all. The evil Nebula bringing her father and his fleet to the future right after the second snap kicks off the third act, as Thanos obliterates the Avenger’s mansion with his ship.

The third act, the entire third act, is just peak MCU. The entire act from start to finish is the absolute best the franchise has to offer. It all begins with the heroes struggling to regroup and find each other in the wreckage, with Hawkeye having to run from aliens in a dark basement, Hulk having to hold up rubble to help save Rhodey and Rocket, Nebula helping sway 2014 Gamora to her side and then in the ultimate act of “God I really hate how I used to be” shooting her past self to death, Ant-Man rushing to save his friends after escaping the blast, and Cap, Thor, and Iron Man going to fight Thanos. This is the beginning of the end.

It is interesting to note that here, Thanos is a lot closer to the megalomaniac tyrant he was in the comics while still staying in line with his movie version from the previous film. It does go to show how fragile his ego is and how his talk of his work being merciful and good is just a delusion he has bought into; he freely admits here that he should not have been so kind, he blames everyone else for his failure, and he promises to remake the universe in his image, perfectly balanced and unaware of all they lost. Despite being almost an entire reversal of his previous characterization, it actually functions quite while as a weird way of continuing his arc while at the same time addressing the criticisms many leveled at the anti-villainous Thanos of Infinity War. It definitely looks like the Russos were well aware of how Thanos would be perceived, and did a really great job at having the best of both worlds in regards to his characterization. And even here, where he is fully embracing his villainy and saying how he will enjoy crushing his foes, one still gets the sense that he still sees himself as the hero in his mind and is absolutely furious that anyone would wish to undo what he considers a kindness.

Of course, the battle with these three fighting Thanos is quite enjoyable, and showcases even without his Gauntlet Thanos is a force to be reckoned with, as he trounces the three Avengers, though not without great effort… especially after Steve Rogers does something we’ve all been waiting a long time to see him do: pick up Mjolnir and wield it in battle. I think it’s safe to say that Thor’s jubilant shout of “I KNEW IT!” is one that was echoed in the minds of every single viewer of the scene. And just when you think the movie couldn’t get even more epic, just when it seems that Thanos will win as a bruised and bettered Steve stands alone against Thanos and his entire army… Steve gets a call.

“On your left.”

Hundreds of magic portals open, and the resurrected heroes all come through, along with any sort of crew they could bring. For the record, this is: Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, M’Baku, the armies of Wakanda, Doctor Strange, Wong, all of the wizards, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Groot, Falcon, Bucky, Scarlet Witch, Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, the remaining Asgardians, Wasp, Pepper Potts in her Rescue armor, Kraglin, his Ravager crew, and even Howard the Duck. And if that’s not enough for you, the Avengers who were still alive before the attack all come in for the battle. And they said Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the most ambitious crossover of all time. Was Howard the Duck in Smash? I think not.

And as the heroes gather for the inevitable charge, do you know what Steve says? He says two little words that fans have been waiting for such a long time to hear him say, something a less talented writer and director teased us with several films ago:

“AVENGERS… ASSEMBLE!”

Hurry quick and wipe those tears from your eyes so you don’t miss the awesome final battle, which is just filled to the brim with moments where every single hero gets to shine. Highlights include Spidey and Tony reuniting, Spidey activating the “Instant Kill” function of his suit, Gamora kicking Star-Lord in the balls, Tony and Pepper fighting back to back, Scarlet Witch confronting Thanos, and the awesomely cheesy “GIRL POWER” moment that is far more empowering than the entirety of Captain Marvel. Everything about this battle is fantastic, everything about it is peak MCU, everything is the epitome of why people love superhero movies… and it all culminates with the conclusion of Tony Stark’s decade-long character arc, as he steals the Stones from Thanos and snaps his fingers, erasing Thanos and his army at the cost of his life.

This moment is depressing on two fronts. On one, there is Tony. He is the hero we have spent the most time with, the one we know the best. And after all these films, he finally proved Steve Rogers wrong: he was able to lay his life on the line for the greater good, sacrificing himself fully for his wife, his daughter, his friends, and the entire universe. Tony went from a self-absorbed egomaniac arms dealer to a truly great, heroic figure who did what he had to do to protect everyone he cared about.

But on the other is Thanos. Most villains, upon seeing their plans come to ruin and their armies laid to waste, would break down, rant, offer some sort of last taunt… but not Thanos. Thanos accepts his death, however much it pains him to. The look of exhaustion, anguish, and utter hopelessness on his face as he sits down in a dark mirror of the ending of Infinity War truly cements him as a great and worthy foe. For all his faults, for all his insanity, Thanos was still a man utterly deluded by his pain and past tragedies into believing his cause was noble and just, and here he sits in his final moments perhaps wondering as his future self did if it was really all worth it. His crumbling to dust as he so cruelly did to so many others I well-deserved and a fitting end for one such as him, but there’s no denying that there is an element of tragedy to it too. It’s the exact sort of emotional ending I would have hoped for from Marvel’s greatest villain.

The finale wraps things up with Tony’s funeral, as well as Cap going back in time to return the Stones and Mjolnir to the moments they were stolen so that the alternate timelines can handle themselves. But Steve decides to create his own alternate timeline before coming home, and lives out an entire lifetime with an alternate Peggy Carter before returning to his own time and passing his shield and title on to Falcon. Many were confused as to if this meant Steve changed the canon of the MCU, but… they explain what happens in the movie. Quite a few times in fact. If you paid attention at all, you would know it is not possible for him to alter the canon. He created an alternate timeline where he presumably lived a full, happy life and ensured things would go well for everyone. No Hydra infiltration of SHIELD, no Winter Soldier, no Stark assassination, none of that. Just a long, happy life with the woman he loved, his best friend, and a well-deserved retirement from the fields of battle in the end. While the conclusion to Cap’s arc is not quite as good as Tony’s, it’s still heartfelt and touching, and it’s hard to say he didn’t deserve a happy life after everything he went through.

And so ends the Infinity Saga, and the first ten years of the MCU. This movie changed a hell of a lot, to the point where even though only two main heroes died over the course of the film, things still will never be the same going forward, and I like that a lot. Unlike every other cinematic universe that has sprung up in the wake of the MCU, I fully feel like any stories told after this one will continue to build off the foundations that this film and its predecessors laid out. There won’t be the need for soft rebooting like with the DCEU, or with actual rebooting like Dark Universe, or just constant messy and confusing timelines like with the X-Men Series. The MCU has managed to remain remarkably consistent throughout, and there’s no reason to doubt they’d continue that into the future. There’s no stinger here, but the moments after the final battle with the Guardians and Thor certainly set up interesting possibilities, as does the now teenaged Cassie Lang, who may well take up the superhero role she has in the comics. It’s hard to predict where the future of the MCU will be going right now, but all things considered it certainly looks bright.

Ultimately, this movie is a love letter. It’s a slow build that starts by examining the characters we know and love at their lowest, builds into a nostalgic and hilarious trip down memory lane, and culminates in the most beautiful sort of fanservice imaginable that then brings a touching conclusion to two of the greatest heroes in all of cinema. Of course, as I’ve mentioned, that first act is going to be what makes or breaks this for some people, and the part does drag a bit, but ultimately this movie is more what it ends up as than what it starts out as. That finale is the single greatest work of art the MCU has produced thus far, and I’m not sure that even with another ten years they’ll ever be able to top it.

The amazing thing is, this movie is pretty accessible even if you aren’t a hardcore fan, though it’s definitely only going to have full emotional impact if you’ve been watching these characters for years. This is a movie for the fans first and foremost, and that’s really not a bad thing; why wouldn’t you make an epic finale to so many arcs that appeals to the people who invested so much time in it? As someone who grew up with the MCU, who has watched it grow and blossom into everything I ever dreamed of seeing as a kid, I only have this to say to all of the directors, writers, actors, stunt people, just everyone who made this and all the other films possible, and to the dearly departed Stan Lee who created so many of these people I’ve spent the past decade watching come to life on screen:

I love you three thousand.

Here’s to another ten years of cinematic superhero excellence.

[aspiestvmusings]

LONG POST: I AM IRON MAN

A STUDY ON: THE MAN vs THE SUIT. 

MY THOUGHTS ON TONY vs IRON MAN. 

SPOILERS FOR MCU FILMS, INCLUDING ENDGAME. SO BEWARE. 

I am being very vague, and no real spoilers, but some might still find this too spoilery, too. 

In “Iron Man 1″ Tony built the Iron Man suit, and declared at the end of IM1, publicly, to everyone that “I am Iron Man”. Then in “Iron Man 2″ he went on record and said that the suit &  the man are one (”The suit & I are one”). But then in “Iron Man 3″ (due to the events of “Avengers 1″)  the man & the suit started separating. 

In IM 1 he got the suit, and became one with the suit. In IM 2 he becomes truly one with the suit. In IM3 he and the suit are, against his will, separated.... “physically”, when both the suit & the connection to the suit (JARVIS) are separated from him. 

In the beginning of  IM3 he first claims that the suits  are part of him. But the he goes on a personal discovery journey. (And that’s AFTER he uses the suit to protect Pepper - putting others first) IM3 shows that while both the suit and the man are broken (suit physically broken, Tony mentally broken), he mostly tries to take care of the suit, not himself. Therefore putting the suit (others) before the man (himself). 

Up until now he has seen them as one - the man & the suit (himself & Iron Man), but meeting Harley and the experiences they have together... makes him see things from the boys perspective... through eyes of others (non-superheroes,  random people) - who only know the “covers of the book” - the suit & not the man inside...not really. The suit is Iron Man & he is the mechanic, who made the suit  (even if, technically, he/the man is Iron Man). 

His character development takes (mostly) place in IM3, where he is “broken”. And yet he still tries to take care of the suit first, and not the man -- the man comes second. He has believed that the suit makes him - that his strength comes from the suit, not his character. But as the IM3 end tells us via his voice over - he now sees it differently.  He destroys the old suits (and his home has been destroyed, too), and starts off from scratch (The Clean Slate protocol) That was the end of the first chapter of his development. 

When in IM1 his declaration “I am Iron Man” said that he & the suit are one and the suit makes him Iron Man, then in IM3 his end declaration says the opposite - he is Iron Man despite it (You can take away all my toys and tricks  (his suits) - but you can’t take away one thing - the fact that he, the man, is Iron Man). He now acknowledged that the mere mortal human inside the suit is the Iron Man - that it’s Tony who has the strength & the power... to do all these great things.  

His character arc was to get to that point in the IM trilogy. He has accepted that his strength comes from having flaws, too. 

Up until this, the suit & him have also been one, because he’s depended on the arc reactor in his chest to power the suit & to keep the man inside it alive. But the end of IM3 changes that. IM3 end separates the man & the suit... as he gets the shrapnel removed from his chest, and is not dependant on the magnetic heart in his chest. After this the suit is not “part” of him, but “around him”. Now the suit lives ON his skin, instead of IN(SIDE) him. 

As he says in A3... the arc reactor now is just a device on his skin, an accessory (like a watch or a piece of jewelry worn) that houses the suit, and he is not dependant on it, it’s just an “accessory”, not a device keeping him alive...more literally. 

And that “growth” comes after the A1 events, and how it affects him - the anxiety, the PTSD, the.... sleepless nights...that takes us to IM3. And then his attempt to save everyone came to play in A2 - his greatest fear of not being able to save everyone, and losing everyone he loves (he might say that Pepper is the only one/thing he can’t live without, but A2 to SM1 have shown that his family is larger than her, and losing the kid in A3  definitely affected him... strongly. He, like they all, lost a lot - lost someone important to him. He didn’t lose everyone as he had feared (the A2: AoU “vision”), but he did lose someone. His greatest fear did  come true. So his “survival guilt” & “not being able to save everyONE” was the theme...kinda after that...)

Tony needs to save everyone - he needs to be the “suit of armour around the earth” that protects everyone. He needs to be the hero. As once again, mentioned in one of the A4 trailers, when Tony says that he can’t help everybody & Pepper replies that it sorta seems that/like he can. His VISION in A2 & his reality after A3 - experience at the end of Infinity War - losing everyone/being the only (human) survivor after the battle (at his location) - is the one thing he can’t live with. He doesn’t want that (Spiderman’s death) on his conscience, cause he feels (like all the heroes) that it’s his fault/on him. But...he is a hero, who needs to save everyone. And this - failure - has always been his greatest fear, and the weight on his shoulders.  

And this is why CA was incorrect in “Avengers 1" when he said Tony is “big man in a suit of armour...take that off & what are you?” Because, while Tony answered the way he did, because he hadn’t gone through the IM3 arc yet (and saw himself differently), he was always more than the suit. And Endgame proved that HE (Tony) is Iron Man even without the suit, and that he doesn’t fight for (only) himself. This is why Tony’s & Iron Man’s journey comes full circle with Endgame. He is the guy who (in many ways) is stronger than Thor & Hulk, and more patriotic (and caring about others) than Cap. He is a Hero. He isn’t just pretending to be one. And he’s not looking for an easy way out - saving his own ass, and letting others take the blows. Proving people wrong...once & for all.  Too bad some didn’t really see the man in the suit until that moment. 

And as  he said to Peter in SM1... He wanted Peter to be better than he was/is. He told Peter than if he is nothing without the suit, then  he shouldn't have it. He had realized this in IM3 (about himself), so he was  “paying it forward”. And he applies this to himself, too. The man inside the suit makes the suit around the man. Or in other words: the man makes the suit, not the other way around. 

It’s the same as they’ve done with Thor, for example - it’s not the hammer that has the power, but the man holding it - thunder comes from within him (it’s in his veins), not from the hammer. Interestingly to me... Thor’s character arc seems so much like Tony’s to me... especially after Endgame (which was Thor’s IM3 - learning to accept himself as he is, with flaws and all... which makes SPOILER GOES HERE Thor’s Harley Keener...because THAT CHARACTER helped him see & accept himself with flaws...find himself & start the healing)

In many ways he’s been “hiding” behind the mask... throughout the MCU history... throughout his journey over the past years since 2008. Literally. Every time there is danger, he “puts on the suit” & “closes the helmet around his face”. But... how does his journey end? The man behind the mask is revealed. He wears the suit, but... not the mask. The suit is a protective armour around him... a “mere mortal human”, but we see the man inside, because he doesn't hide behind the mask... he does not wear the helmet (at the end of the battle). Making it Tony that is being the hero, not the suit (Iron Man). 

The two are separated now. This is the man...in the suit... that is doing the fighting. And...as it turns out TONY (not Iron Man) is the strongest avenger...in many ways. He is able to “lift as much as Hulk” - he does the same thing Hulk did, and unlike Bruce as Hulk, who needed time to get used to the power when it attacks him, Tony doesn’t even falter... when confronted with so much power coming at him... (he wills himself to do it & succeed)

Tony also has the willpower to save Thanos for last  at the end. He makes Thanos witness his whole army/team die before the purple evil finds his own end. Tony does that by simply his willpower. He lets Thanos  witness his teams failure/fall (that he/they lost)...letting that sink in...slowly, letting him know that Tony and his team won... This is why Thanos is the last one to die...  

This is why in his line  ”...and *I* am Iron Man...” in Endgame he was emphasising the “I” part. He, Tony, the man inside the (ironman) suit is Iron Man... the human with all his flaws...not just strengths. But his strength comes from his character, and the choices he’s made (from choosing to become peacekeeper instead of weapons maker...to everything that followed) that tell of his character. The whole story so far has been about how Tony Stark has a heart, and how he is the heart of the story. HE did all that. Tony did all that. He had the suit to help him (though).  

Also... we see how everyone finally sees him as the hero, and the heart of the story. This is why Tony doesn’t say anything during THAT scene (besides those few words to Pepper) - it was all about how others felt about him - the hero. And everyone standing to acknowledge Tony... (as) the Iron Man, and the hero. Everyone's reaction to the hero was the focus, because that arc has now also been completed - everyone else now, too, sees Tony as the hero he is. It baffles me that it took until that moment for others to finally see it, too, but... that’s how it is. 

Based on the canon there were many characters in this universe who did not see him as the selfless hero he had been...since almost the start of his journey (he redeemed himself in IM1... before he met any of the other heroes) And I am sad to read/see that even the makers of the films (the creators, the writers, the directors) didn’t see him as the selfless hero until his retirement. Maybe it’s the usual publicity talk & not their actual view on the character they helped to create, but yeah... seeing some claim that he finally...only now..did something not selfish...and fought for others, not himself... for me...is strange & means the person & character wasn't understood. But then again...maybe it’s the genius-factor at play - people just not understanding genius and seeing anyone who is smart & all actions by geniuses as arrogant & selfish. Not seeing the real person behind it & the real motives behind their actions? That’s my take on...that.

He is more than the suit. He is everything without the suit. Tony is Iron Man...the hero. That was the end of the second chapter of his development.

And here's an appropriate quote to sum it up: “The measure of a hero is how (well) they succeed at being who they are.” Tony was a hero, a superhero, a friend, a leader, a son, a *****’*; a ******.  

Which is why him choosing family over other options...is...so believable. This way he’s had a taste of both of the worlds & he’s saved both - the world & his family. 

IRON MAN WILL RETURN? LINK HERE

. 

                                                THE END 

Congrats if you made it this far. It’s been another super long post from me.

There is, of course, more to this, but this is already too long of a post...even though I can say so much more about this all. 

[ryanmeft]

Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe, part 3

Part 1: https://ryanmeft.tumblr.com/post/183962601514/ranking-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-part-1 Part 2: https://ryanmeft.tumblr.com/post/184208179827/ranking-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-part-2

10. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Yes, the third act goes on way too long, and is uninspired and even a bit dull. It deserves the criticism it gets. Thing is, that’s pretty much all this one deserves criticism for. Right up until that final showdown, everything in the movie clicked. It starts right off with the Avengers already a team, in a semi-cold open where every member just works. Throughout the movie, Joss Whedon proves he deserves his reputation for snappy dialogue, as nearly every exchange between every character zings. The additions of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver may not feel like the most vital parts of the formula, but they work every bit as well as they need to, and the defeated Avengers retreating to an off-the-grid hideout to hash out their issues is still among the franchises’ best sequences, more than worth the silly Ragnarok tie-in Whedon had to trade for it.

It also has a great, underrated villain. While it does seem that no one really planned in advance to have Ultron in the MCU, he works perfectly, backed up by the voice and personality of James Spader. He never comes across as a robot, but rather as artificial life, dropped into a supremely messed up world and taking---well, can we really say the wrong interpretation? Skewed, perhaps, but driven by the very true reality of mankind’s brutal nature. It seems obvious Whedon got tired by the end of the film, but everything prior to that is gold. Unless you’re one of those people who watches the original on repeat, it’s now hard to deny that the sequel tops it.

9. Iron Man 3

Fanboy cries of “they didn’t do the Mandarin right” have unfairly dogged this one since release. I don’t read the comics regularly anymore, and I find that after more than a decade outside of regular readership I have the glorious freedom of judging a movie apart from whether it matches the comics’ often-contradictory and confusing continuity. So, with that out of the way: Iron Man 3 is genuinely good. Recovering from the train wreck that was Iron Man 2 with new director Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce, this one decided to de-glamorize the hard-party aspect of the character and let his frat-boy nature lead him to near-ruin, getting his home destroyed and his suit crippled by a mad terrorist. That led to an excellent middle act in which Tony has to make a go of things without his vaunted suits to help him, against a mysterious villain. When the nature of that villain is revealed, it’s actually quite clever (while also being a way to avoid massively ticking off the all-important Asian box office). The new supporting cast, especially Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce, add a lot, while returning favorites get actual development. The third act goes on a little too long, but the device of having Tony manipulate multiple suits of armor at once is a clever twist on the usual Marvel shtick of an army of bad guys vs. one hero. As Marvel’s first post-Avengers movie, this one needed to prove the MCU concept still had gas in it even though the big event it had been building to was come and gone. It succeeded.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Which Guardians is better? They’re both some of the more pure fun movies in the MCU, kind of like Suicide Squad, but not shitty, and in space. Some people prefer the first one for sheer irreverence and comedic chemistry, while others appreciate the more personal story and stakes in the sequel. I had a raging debate with myself on this (there were injuries) but ultimately, more personal won out. The first movie has a bunch of misfits who get together to stop a generic cosmic evil baddie bad guy seemingly for no other reason than the heck of it. The second gives them actual reasons to be together, with a truly interesting threat to fight. Peter Quill’s dad Ego, played with just the right amount of swagger and just the right gleam in his eye by Kurt Russell, is the lightning this team needed to really live. There’s a lot of “Oh, come on, stop pretending he’s not the bad guy” in movies, but in this case you really don’t want him to be; he’s the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with, and you get the sense he really cares for his son in his own twisted way. That’s villain gold.

The family themes don’t end there, with Gamora and Nebula working out their differences and Rocket learning to be (slightly less of) a little shit and appreciating his adoptive family more. And, of course, there’s Yondu’s emotional death. In fact, one of the more interesting takes I read casts the movie in the light of overcoming abusive relationships. That may seem a little grand for a superhero popcorn flick, but tilt your head a bit and you can see it. The greater amount of heart on display in this entry makes up for some occasionally ramshackle plotting, and provides a worthy sequel.

7. Black Panther

One of the few superhero movies that genuinely created a believable world, the land of Wakanda comes to vivid and incredible life, a more visually varied, colorful and detailed setting than anything in the MCU or even the Marvel catalogue; there’s nothing else like it in the genre. Ritual battles for the throne are fought amid towering waterfalls, while light speed trains blast by beneath the rural African facade. The action in this amazing setting is driven by two great characters. Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is a doubtful king, unsure of his country’s place in the world or even his own necessity to his country. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is a radical with a reason; his motivations feel genuine and his rage earned.

Ultimately, the supporting cast decided this one’s ranking. Other than fan favorite Shuri, the secondary players in this one are…well, dull. Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira are given minimal-if-any character development, and it’s impossible to ignore the fact that in the age of MeToo, all of the women here are subservient to a man. The third act devolves into an obligatory battle scene, when it could have been so much more given what it had to work with. By any measure, it’s an excellent tights flick, but we’re going to have to wait for the sequel to see what the setting is really capable of.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger

Just in case you were wondering if this list were biased, here’s my personal favorite MCU movie, down here at #6. One of the few films in the studio’s catalog that feels it was made entirely by humans with visions and not a marketing committee, Joe Johnston lends this one a feel that is a distinct mix of genuine World War II and the boys magazine vibe that originally birthed Cap. The result is a superhero film that stands as unique in the genre. Actual scenes of warfare are mostly avoided due to that PG-13 rating, but the costs of war are seen in relatively realistic depictions of refugee soldiers returning from a doomed mission, or the jaded responses of hardened troops to Cap’s USO-style shows. Light elements of camp come in with the deliciously over-the-top performance of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull and that wonderfully hammy montage of Cap selling war bonds. The whole thing is tied together by Chris Evans playing the MCU’s most naturally likable protagonist, who gets a last line that, for my money, easily tops “I am Iron Man”.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

It may not be the weightiest film in the MCU, and the apocalyptic, full-stakes tone of the Asgardian story occasionally clashes strangely with the full-comedic tone of the Planet Hulk-inspired material, but Ragnarok was nonetheless the tonic we all needed in a world where blockbusters often don’t know how to relax. Sure, there’s plenty of humor in other MCU films, but it can occasionally feel as though a committee of people is sitting around with a page of one-liners and a stamp. Taika Waititi’s material does not feel like that. From the banter between Loki and everyone else to the fact that Hemsworth is finally allowed to tap into his comedic abilities, it feels like kids having fun, which we need more of. Cate Blanchett completely devours her role as Hela, while Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster is a preening drunk who gets some of the best lines. It pretty much erases the previous Thor continuity---including the only clever bit of plotting from Dark World---but what we lose is more than made up for by the fun we gain in the process. Oh, and visually, it may be the only MCU film other than Doctor Strange which fully taps into that wonderfully bizarre 60’s Marvel vibe.

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man’s long-awaited starring debut in the MCU may not have been quite as earth-shattering as some hoped, but then, it wasn’t supposed to be. Of all the heroes in Marvel’s vast catalog, Spidey is the most like us. He has girl troubles, he can’t pay the rent, his boss is a jerk, and there’s always someone in the bathroom when he really needs to go (probably). Many of the hallmarks of the classic character didn’t make the transition, but the spirit is alive. Peter comes across as a hyperactive, overconfident millennial, which is what he’d be these days, and his classmates are updated from a rotating roster of stock characters straight out of 1950’s pamphlets on The Modern Teenager to a varied group of personalities that connect with today’s kids. Most crucial of all, though, is the Vulture, widely regarded at the time as the best MCU villain to date (and still this writer’s favorite). He doesn’t want to rule the world, he just wants to make a living, and that makes him the perfect opponent for Peter. Michael Keaton was the ideal choice for his casting. This is a case where a pretty darn good movie is bumped several slots simply because of how great the villain is. Sure, Downey seems to be phoning in his support role at times, and some great comedic actors are relegated to tiny roles, but these are flyspecks on the movie that redeemed the Spider-Man name after a decade of cinematic missteps. 

3. Iron Man

The original and…still the best? Not quite, but it’s up there. At the time Iron Man released, it seemed flawless in part because of the odds against it. It’s hard to imagine a time now when Shellhead wasn’t a household name, but when Marvel decided to launch their new line of films with him, he was second-tier at best. The success of the movie and, crucially, Robert Downey Jr.’s casting elevated him to essential. The impact was so great that if you go and read a modern Marvel comic, you’ll find them pretending he was always front and center. It all started here, and it started because the movie was so good. It not only rehabilitated Downey’s image, it cast the great Jeff Bridges as a villain who seems to plausibly believe his version of events, and a pre-Goop Gwyneth Paltrow as an effective romantic foil for Tony. The humor, the action, the pathos all clicked. Looking back now, the decision to have Stane go completely evil by the end of the film cheapens it a bit, especially compared to truly complex villains like The Vulture and Loki, and the character himself has evolved beyond these beginnings---despite his moral conflicts, he still revels in being an irresponsible playboy here. These are incredibly minor quibbles, but ten years later, they stand out just enough to cost it a couple rungs on the ladder.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The popular favorite for the best MCU movie slides in at #2, and before you hit me, it’s all because of Marvel’s need to insert cookie cutter, blockbuster endings in their movies, regardless of what kind of movie it is. They’ve gotten better as time goes on, but the giant ships over the city, flaming and falling from the sky while superpeople jump on, in, over and around them was incongruous with the slower, more measured spy stuff of the rest of the movie, and felt obligatory, causing this to lose the top spot. Still, it had to have ranked second for a reason. The plot up until the third act may be the tightest and most tense of any MCU film, with genuine mysteries unfolding and an unexpected payoff when we get to the what’s-really-going-on-here moment. New additions Anthony Mackie and Robert Redford fit well, while Black Widow is such a perfect compliment to Cap that it’s a crime they didn’t team up more often without all those other hangers-on (and there’s an unexplored romantic chemistry that seems much more apt than that between Cap and Sharon Carter). The first two acts of this one define what the MCU is capable of.

1. Captain America: Civil War

Civil War plays like one of those old Marvel Annuals, with the double-sized page count and the promises of things you wouldn’t normally see. Unlike those annuals, the movie isn’t padded out with recycled material, either. It gives audiences exactly what they’re expecting: the answer to what would happen if the good guys turned on each other.

That answer, of course, is: one hell of a fight. The airport battle in particular shows off the powers of every available hero, including the newly introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man, and the Russos (with their small army of effects people) come up with every trick and use of the hero’s powers they can for this lengthy sequence. In many ways, it’s the best of the Avengers movies.

Yet despite some wags who say it isn’t really a Captain America movie, it is. The story heavily involves both him and Winter Soldier, and Rogers ends up being the one whose decisions shape the outcome. The stakes may involve everyone at first, but they eventually come down to a very personal battle between Iron Man and Cap, after a highly clever fake-out by Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo. The ads may have promised fireworks, but just like the other Cap movies, it’s the personal stuff that makes this one work so well.

[brucee-waynee]

alright, so i'm really tired when people say that Bale!Batman is better than Batfleck when he's actually doing a better portrayal of Bruce Wayne??? do you think so? and could you maybe give some reason to shut down these fools people? lol

I know the feeling entirely and since I agree with the statement and you asked. Here’s why Batfleck is better than Nolanverse Batman:

The idea of Batman/Bruce Wayne has become one with pop culture since before I was born. I enjoyed Batman films when i was young and even the not-so-good film Batman & Robin. It wasn’t until i was older that i realized there was so much more to Batman that people don’t necessarily see when they see the character since the whole pop culture thing. 

The reason why Batfleck is better for me and many others when were talking about a comic adaption Batman its because of his raw emotion, his brooding hurt self. Batfleck suffers from PTSD at the loss of his parents. He shows and conveys that pain in so many ways throughout Batman v Superman. Batfleck emodies Bruce Wayne from the comics unlike every other Batman before him in a way that is not just some rich white man with a deep voice in a batman suit, He’s essentially like Logan from X-Men, constantly losing his loved ones but also his parents death is apart of him. The sheer difference between Nolanverse Batman and Batfleck is that Batfleck conveys so much emotion surrounding their death and is quite human where his rage is fueled from things he cannot control. If you just want a short and sweet way to argue that Batfleck is best, here’s a decent article. This will mostly be about uplifting Batfleck as the best batman rather than pitting it against Nolanverse!Batman. 

Disclaimer: To start I just want to state that i find great distaste in Nolanverse Batman but i do think the films are entertaining and good on their own accord. As Batman adaptions, they’re so off point from the comics. I will also state that although i’m a huge Batman fan, i am not at all read on every Batman comic. I would not consider myself the most knowledgeable Batman fan. That being said, i think my opinions as well as others who have shared the same opinion are quite valid.

The DCEU thus far have been comic adaptions, maybe not to the T but to the extent that scenes have looked like panels from comics. The DCEU is also in its early stages and when people compare the MCU it makes no sense considering the MCU was started before it. Not to mention, reviewers have related the DCEU to the MCU to put shame to the DCEU. The point of why i started with this is because the DCEU as of now is questionable and has got a lot of bad reviews for its films either than Wonder Woman. 

I’m going to skip to Batfleck where we first seen him in Batman v Superman and then talk about Justice League. As i’m doing that i will bring in examples from the Nolanverse trilogy that missed the mark.  

Batfleck was meant to be a serious toned Batman and because of Zack Synder’s vision it was pulled off really well. You can read more here from this article I thought fit well. Because of this seriousness, people have either loved or were questionable about him. I think the for me, and others, the serious tone really played off the part well. Batfleck was not meant to be all smiles or cracking jokes every few seconds. No, he was in pain (mental pain to be exact) and that pain is central to his character.

From the death of his parents, we see this pain from the beginning. I could go into talking about Synder’s visuals which were highly deceptive of the comics but i’ll stick to Batfleck.

We have many moments where we can visualize Bruce’s feelings and how they have a connection the death of his parents. His PTSD is tied to him.

The destruction of Gotham

Visiting parent’s cemetery 

Batman: Dark Victory parallel

Batman: Year One parallel

____________________________________________________

Back to the theme of Batfleck and parent’s death

In the moments between the big action scenes we see the pain he witholds from his eyes to to his facial expression.

Even in his speech, its clear that there is pain in him and he takes that pain and pushes onto Supes. That pain is not only a result of his parents dying but Jason Todd’s death

This could be suggestive of Jason and/or others who went from hero to villain or something else entirely. Either way there is a malingering grey area about Bruce that is not just good vs. evil, black vs. white, bat vs. supes. There’s more to him and as he fights with Supes, this is shown more. 

He has a moment of disbelief with the idea that Supes (Clark Kent) has a mother and shares the same name as his. He’s thinking of his mother in this moment and instead of killing Supes, he gets back in touch with his humanity, something that Martha Wayne would have made him realize if she were alive.

“Men are still good”

There’s so many comics hint or explore Bruce’s pain. Those ones are my favorite. Batman: Ego (2000) is my favorite Batman comic book because it explores it so well. And i see Ego!Batman when i see Batfleck. I could parallel a bunch of comic panels to everything on here but i think Batfleck even on his own is superior.

Hell i don’t even dig Batman: the animated series but look:

Tell me that Batman’s pain and seriousness ain’t part of his character even in a mostly children’s series.

also if you want more lookalike, tell me Batfleck doesn’t look like comic!bruce

_____________________________________________________

Batfleck and fighting especially that one scene™ 

Straight out of a comic book

again

again

even when fighting Supes

which are said to be similar fighting style to the critically acclaimed video game Arkham Knight [check the gifs of it here & here since tumblr can only have max of 3mb gif size]

Speaking of video game

This shot in particular says not only video game but Comic Book panel

Justice League trailer coming in hard with the visuals ACTUALLY looks like Batman:

_______________________________________________________

Bruce Wayne™ is merely a persona 

The whole idea of rich white Bruce Wayne is suppose to be a persona. And in fact Batman tries to fight poverty no matter if its Batfleck or Nolvanverse. The thing that Nolanverse gets the most wrong is that Bruce Wayne is a shield from his mental health. Its also not to spend too much time as him because that’s not really him. I think another thing that kind of took away from this in terms of Nolanverse is that it didn’t feel that believable even when they tried to split pained!bruce with persona!bruce and i think its cause of how they conveyed persona!bruce as an all powerful being. i also get corporate vibes from bale!bruce so there’s that lmao.

I think the whole sarcastic thing batfleck had with clark outbeats anything we were given from nolanverse when it comes to bruce showing his true side while showing his persona!side. He was confident but had something about him that wasn’t over-the-top where he could be cocky like Nolanverse!Batman

________________________________________________

There’s so much i could say in terms of Batfleck’s strategy and detective work.

There two things are central to Batman as a hero. He does not just go into any given situation without a plan. He is also more than his gadgets. And as much as i love this line:

and this line:

Batman as a hero is quite great cause he’s human but does things that make him superhuman and it goes without saying his big heart.

He came prepared against Doomsday

Also against Supes

Batplane helping Martha Kent and against Doomsday

Detective work with the mafia and “white Portuguese” in Gotham City, which he investigates Lex Luthor as he believes he is the key. He was going to go there as Batman but was invited as perona!Bruce Wayne. This was much better writing in utilizing the persona rather than Nolanverse

Investigating the soon to be Justice League

Showing not only his investigative work but his big heart. He also knows what it feels like to lose people he loves. 

_________________________________________________

All in all, Batfleck is the best batman to ever Batman. This is merely based on one film and part of a trailer. We are yet to have a standalone Batfleck film and The Batman dir. Matt Reeves is guaranteed to be a phenomenal film. ‘Reeves has hinted at a possible trilogy of the The Batman film as well as rumors around Jason Todd’s resurrection. He has also expressed interest in telling a noir-driven, detective story that shows the audience what’s going on in Bruce’s head and heart. Its planned to be an emotional story.’

The main features i highlighted in this messy meta are Batfleck & pain, fighting, strategist, detective, big heart, true to himself and not persona!bruce, looking like comic bruce, animated bruce, video game bruce, visually like bruce, etc. and we don’t even have much were going off here. In compared to the Nolanverse!batman, Batfleck has all the balls in his court, considering we’ve only got a taste of him unlike the trilogy from Nolanverse. I realize i didn’t cap and look over Nolanverse but my point was not to tare down Nolanverse for Batfleck but more to highlight that Bafleck is the best batman and there’s no way something that is more popular culture entertainment could out beat him. That’s a rap. Hope you enjoyed and @ me if you have any other questions. I mostly simplified this only cause its more accessible to all and cause i’m tired.  

[ramajmedia]

10 Hilarious Spider-Man Logic Memes Only True Marvel Fans Will Understand

Everyone knows the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (aka Peter Parker of Queens). Most recently made popular again by English actor Tom Holland, Spider-Man has once more made his mark in superheroism and pop culture. Spider-Man has plenty of memes (with all kinds of wacky logic behind them) created in recent years with the appearance of the newest version of the character in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. We're here to sort out some of the most hilarious Spider-Man logic memes out there that only the truest and most dedicated of Marvel fans would understand...so without further interruption, here they are!

10 Watching The Fight

Everyone's privy to the heated debate between Sony and Marvel concerning the future of Spider-Man. Now, in the newest installment released in July, we were left on a cliffhanger concerning Peter's identity. We can't imagine that cliffhanger being an eternal one. Surely considering the financial success of the independent Spider-Man films, as well as the fan's dedicated and consistent support, some kind of agreement could surely be reached. Until it is, we're aligned with the logic behind this meme: just when it looks like Spider-Man has a future, he's once again shut down (kind of like losing Uncle Ben all over again). Though sad, what makes this meme hilarious is the contemplative pose and what appears to be a bottle of Perrier in his grasp. Everyone processes in their own way.

9 Admission To The Avengers

Peter's dedicated to proving himself throughout Civil War, Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Endgame. Especially in Homecoming, Peter takes desperate measures and unnecessary risks to prove himself to his mentor, Tony Stark. All to prove he is worthy enough to join more missions with the Avengers and be more than just a "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." The irony of this meme is the fact that while Peter works his butt off to become a part of the Avengers, the twins, initially villains in Age of Ultron, somehow easily gain admission to the team against all odds.

RELATED: 10 MCU Tattoos That Make You Feel Like A Superhero

While Wanda is the only survivor, we'd understand why Peter would be jealous of her admission to the team given the circumstances. This doesn't appear to be the case, as Far From Home finds Peter wanting to take a break from crime-fighting, but you never know: deep down, Peter may harbor the teeniest bit of resentment, which gives the meme its humor.

8 Who's The Captain Now?

The logic behind this is hilarious: Peter's entrance to the MCU is the moment he steals Captain America's shield. It's really quite an entrance, and for being a young teenager, this is a pretty good first impression considering it portrays a sense of dominance to some degree. Really, how many would dare to snatch Cap's shield out from under him? Of course, Tony Stark had something to do with it, and Peter was humble about the whole thing, telling Cap how big a fan he is of him in the seconds following the shield's abduction. Still, this meme echoes the question we were thinking the moment we saw it: who's the Captain now?

7 This...No

In Far From Home, as Peter makes his way through Customs, he's held up. For a banana. Aunt May threw in his Spider-Man costume just in case he'd need it (which he obviously did, so thanks to Aunt May's foresight the world was saved), even when Peter insisted he leave it behind and take a real vacation. In Spider-Man logic, the high-tech powered suit that could be disastrous in the wrong hands is totally okay to go through customs.

RELATED: Every Confirmed Upcoming MCU Project, Ranked By Fans' Excitement

The harmless article of fruit, however, poses a serious threat. Who didn't laugh at this moment? Not to mention Peter's identity could have been seriously compromised...but miraculously isn't. We're still not quite following the logic in that.

6 Fight For Your Rights

This meme is a play on a scene from Homecoming in which Tony must enforce a rather harsh, but necessary, form of tough love to teach Peter a valuable lesson. Having wanted to so desperately prove himself, Peter has gone over his head and nearly gets a ferry sunk which would have killed many. Luckily Stark steps in to save the day and clean Peter's mess, but it results in a harsh lesson. Peter loses his suit and must learn to be something without it. Perhaps the studios could refer to this scene and learn their own lesson from it? The meme does have a point.

5 Yes...No...Homecoming In A Nutshell

The meme is right; this is basically the plot line of Homecoming. Tony tells Peter no, and Peter decides to do it anyway.

RELATED: Stan Lee Gets A New York Street Named After Him

We all know this is a rocky journey as Peter has to learn several things the hard way, and nearly loses his suit forever because of it. However, we also know how the movie ends: turns out, Peter learns his lesson and the day is saved in the end. In Spider-Man logic, going behind Iron Man's back is a good thing. Seems wrong, but also strangely right. So yes...or no?

4 Limiting The Heroes

This meme is a moment taken from Far From Home, just slightly altered to incorporate the unknown future of Spider-Man, whose story remains hanging in the balance. With Thor off-world, Captain Marvel unavailable, and now Spider-Man potentially out of the picture, the MCU is limiting who will be around to save the day when the time comes. Let's face it: that time always comes. Just when the world is safe, something throws it right back into peril; ergo, the need for superheroes. In Far From Home logic, Spider-Man was the world's only hope. Should that logic arise again, and Spider-Man isn't there to turn to, what would happen then? Spider-Man may be young and (compared to the other heroes) relatively inexperienced, but he still deserves a place. It's almost cruelly hilarious how the studios don't appear to see that.

3 Don't Mess With Batman

This is meme gold. While Michael Keaton does play a villain in Homecoming, he also played a hero back in 1989: Batman. Yes, before Christian Bale, there was another Batman. In Spider-Man logic, they've managed to sneak in one of the most beloved heroes of all-time and make him a villain for their own story line. We love it. Besides, Spider-Man against Batman?

RELATED: Idris Elba Wants To Play Heimdall Again In The MCU  

Who wasn't thinking that when we watched the battle unfold between these two? It's hilarious how things work out in casting, sometimes.

2 What Is That Noise?

The Spider-Man logic is hilarious in this particular meme because it's so similar to Iron Man's logic. Perhaps Peter's picking up more than just superhero tips from his mentor. Their explanations are so unbelievable they're actually believable (if that makes sense). Tony can play it cool (whereas Peter plays it more awkwardly), but the two both seem to think along the same lines by way of excuses. We find that awesome. Plus, who doesn't want to copy their excuses? Next time someone asks you what the heck that noise is, you're either driving with the top down or you're at band practice. Fun and simple.

1 How Do You Take Your Coffee?

This meme is hilarious because it references a characteristic of Peter's that's adorable, frankly. Peter likes to pretend he's tougher than he really is. This is evident in the parking garage scene in Homecoming where he uses his suit to deepen his voice to sound scarier and intimidating. The criminal sees right through it. Honestly, everyone does. Peter's just too nice of a guy. Sweet, smart and awkward, Peter's just not the scary or intimidating type. We actually love that about him. He can get the job done and still maintain kindness and politeness at the same time. How many heroes can do that? So yeah, it's obvious he doesn't drink his coffee "dark and bitter."

NEXT: 10 Reasons Why Tom Holland Is Our Favorite Peter Parker/Spider-Man

source https://screenrant.com/spider-man-logic-memes-true-fans/

[theprocrastinatingalien]

10 MCU Characters That Could Lead Their Own Movie.

Since IRON MAN made it's debut in 2008, there have been 15 movies released for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with more on the way... and a lot of characters and actors.

However, there's only been a handful of lead characters - Tony Stark (Iron Man), Edward Norton (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Scott Lang (Ant-Man) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)  - and we know that over the next three years, they'll be joined by Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel).

In each case, the actor and character have been introduced with the intention of them to lead.  Most of the lead from the get-go, whilst a few have been planted in other character's movies as a way of introduction (notably Spider-Man and Black Panther in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR).

At no point has a character been introduced, purely as support, later to promoted to lead.  But with so many popular characters, and able actors, surely, as we head beyond Phase Three, we can consider some of them 'lead worthy'?

Here are, in my opinion, the 10 most likely characters/actors that could lead a future movie in the MCU.  So, in no particular order...

ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT

Okay, so, already I'm mixing it up by giving TWO names in one entry!  The reason for that is - I'm not sure which one would actually get the top billing?!  In the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY films, Vin Diesel is credited before Bradley Cooper, so to that end, I guess Diesel and Groot would be seen as 'the lead'.  However, as we all know, Groot isn't the most chatty of characters with only 3 words in his vocabulary.  That suggests to me that if the two get their own story, it'll be Rocket and Bradley Cooper taking the lead.

Of course, this movie is one that might come to be made, I think even GOTG director James Gunn has said he'd like to do it, and with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3 set to be the last outing for this group, if we want for of the characters, their own film may be the only way to go!

PEGGY CARTER

Hayley Atwell was, in my book, one of the highlights of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, and the MCU have found ways of bringing the character back a few times since - an aged appearance in THE WINTER SOLDIER, a dream sequence in AGE OF ULTRON, a flashback in ANT-MAN, and - most importantly - two seasons of her very own AGENT CARTER (not to mention a short, and a few appearances in AGENTS OF SHIELD).

Her series may have come to an early end, but there's still plenty of adventures for Steve Rogers' first true love.  I predict we'll be getting quite a few female-lead superhero films over the next few years, and whilst not 'super' Peggy Carter works in that world, over many decades! 

HOPE VAN DYNE / WASP

We've only actually met Evangeline Lilly once so far, in ANT-MAN, but we know we have more of her coming.  in ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, she'll become the first MCU female character to appear in the title, and then she'll get to hang with the Avengers in the untitled INFINITY WAR sequel.

Now, it's possible the character will only ever play second fiddle to Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, but considering the fact Wasp was a character that Joss Whedon was desperate to include in THE AVENGERS, and it's possible - of the character proves popular - Marvel may wish to give her a solo film.  As I say, I predict a few female-lead films on the way, and I wouldn't be surprise if Lilly finds herself one of the serious contenders.

JAMES RHODES / WAR MACHINE

Okay, I'll mark this as one of the most unlikely on my list, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.  Of course, the character was introduced in the first film in the franchise, with Don Cheadle taking over from Terrence Howard in IRON MAN 2.  He's since appeared in IRON MAN 3, AGE OF ULTRON and had a nasty, potentially life-changing, accident in CIVIL WAR. 

It's expected that Robert Downey Jr's tenure as Iron Man will come to an end soon, so it's possible bosses will keep Cheadle on to keep that 'shellhead' vibe going.  But will Rhodes offer anything new?  Well, War Machine does have his own comic line, and Cheadle is popular enough.

I'm including him, but honestly feel, if Rhodes makes it past Phase 3, it might only be  as a support.

DR. HANK PYM / ANT-MAN

Well, why not?  Pym was the original Ant-Man, and we've already been introduced to him, as played by Michael Douglas in ANT-MAN.  He obviously had a lot of adventures long before this new wave of heroes showed up (well, not before Cap, but still) and I think there's an audience for him, and Janet Van Dyne (the original Wasp).

Whether it'd be Douglas continuing on in the role - maybe with that fancy de-aging cg effect - or with a younger actor, it could work with a mix of the two - Douglas could book-end the film if not appearing throughout.

I actually think this is a strong option, depending on how much we get to see in ANT-MAN & THE WASP due out next year. 

JANE FOSTER / THOR

Okay, I'm just going to throw it out there... Hemsworth's time as the God of Thunder is due to expire soon.  He's a possible casualty of the INFINITY WAR, and if that is the way the movies go, the MCU might call forth a female THOR - just like in the comics!

Jane Foster was revealed as being the new Thor, and that's an interesting route to go down... especially as we know Natalie Portman won't be playing the character in RAGNAROK later this year.  That's possibly due to her tantrum at Patty Jenkins leaving THE DARK WORLD (before going on to direct WONDER WOMAN for DC), or maybe they're saving her for bigger things?  Portman is a popular actor, and capable of leading a superflick. 

This might be something to look out for!

NICK FURY (and SHIELD)

Samuel L Jackson's appearance in the post credits scene that the end of IRON MAN, is what excited the world for the promise of THE AVENGERS.  He's appeared in a lot of films since, although those appearances have grown fewer and far between as he closes in on the end of his contract.

It's thought that he has only two films left on his contract.  He's going to be in at least INFINITY WAR, possible the next AVENGERS film too, but he also hinted that he might be popping up in CAPTAIN MARVEL, so who knows when we'll be seeing him... but there's been rumblings of  Nick Fury for a few years now.

Fury was the Director of SHIELD until it imploded with Hydra-ness in THE WINTER SOLDIER.  Since then SHIELD went underground, lead by Phil Coulson - as chronicled in AGENTS OF SHIELD) but it would make sense for Fury to take back leadership for a big screen outing.  It would also be a good way of utilising Cobie Smulders in a supporting role as Maria Hill, and (fingers crossed) make use of our favourite characters from the series (such as Daisy Johnson, Fitz and Simmons). 

Or maybe we'll get to see a younger version of Fury at the start of his career?  I would definitely suggest they go with de-aging Jackson with CG for that, nobody can play Samuel L, like Samuel L!

Now, it might be too far down the line for this film to happen, but whilst Jackson's under contract there's still hope!

CLINT BARTON / HAWKEYE

Barton got a bit of a bum deal in THE AVENGERS, being all mind-possessed by Loki, but he was a highlight in AGE OF ULTRON, whilst getting some good blows in during CIVIL WAR.    There character's already retired once, but he's still at it.  There's nothing to say he'll survive INFINITY WAR, but if he does, maybe the guy deserves his own film?

Jeremy Renner would certainly like to do more, suggesting maybe Hawkeye could lead a Netflix series, but how about this - with the majority of the Avengers going their own way, or getting killed off over the next Avengers film (we assume) maybe Barton will end up being the boss of team, leading a new guard to save the world.

Just a suggestion, but realistically, I reckon Hawkeye will appear as a support for a different lead...

NATASHA ROMANOV / BLACK WIDOW

Scarlett Johansson is hot property.  Black Widow is really the leading lady of the MCU at the moment, and there's been chatter of her own solo film for a film.  Joss Whedon wanted to do one, and the Russo Brothers seem pretty keen too.    Of all the names on this list, I predicted this is one of the most likely - although not guaranteed.  As Johansson has said, she'll not want to fit into the tight costumes for ever, so Marvel are running out of time if they want to get the ball rolling. 

I think it will happen though, in either 2021 or 2022, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get some flashback action, with her going on some missions with best bud Hawkeye.

And finally... last but not least...

CAPTAIN AMERICA

And by that, I mean either James Barnes (Winter Soldier) or Sam Wilson (Falcon)!

Steve Rogers didn't die in CIVIL WAR like many thought.  That's just as well, we kinda already knew Evans was signed up to INFINITY WAR... but will he make it past 2019?  That's a big question with most of the original Avengers.  Chris Evans has made it known he intends on stepping away from acting (to behind the camera) once his Marvel contract expires - which it is due to very soon!  He has made comments that he'd ready to do more, but that could just be a smoke screen.

In the comics, Bucky Barnes takes over as Captain America, and we do know that Sebastian Stan signed a 9 picture deal (to which he's only used 3 currently, with one to three more coming up with INFINITY WAR, AVENGERS 4 and that persistent rumour he'll be in BLACK PANTHER too (which would make sense considering what happened in the mid credits scene in CW).  Rogers seems to have thrown away the shield, so it's possible this is where Barnes (and Stan) take over role).  Of course, there is a slight hiccup... having killed Stark's parents, he's unlikely to be a welcomed member of the team, I certainly doubt Tony Stark will allow it, so it might be a tough sell in terms of the MCU.

So what about skipping Barnes for Sam Wilson?  Anthony Mackie has proved to be a fun and energetic member of the MCU team, Falcon is certainly one of my favourites.  In the comics  Wilson has became a flying Captain America, under the watchful eye of an elderly Rogers.  This might be an interesting way to pass the torch from Evans to Mackie, and Wilson would be a more accepted member of the team - he's already been an Avenger!

Of course, I quite like the idea that - following the death of Rogers - Bucky and Falcon battle it out for the Shield, possibly both becoming Captain America, with only one victorious at the end.  They could even it up with Emily VanCamp appearing as Sharon Carter, in the race to become a female Cap.  I'd watch that!

So far, Stan as been credited about Mackie and VanCamp in each outing and unless the writers decide Wilson will be Cap from the start, I guess Stan will edge it.  Although, I'll admit it now - I want Mackie for Cap! I'm positive it'll be one of them though!

They're my choices for most likely leads from the supporting ranks.  Think I've missed someone obvious?  Let me know!

And remember to add my twitter - @procrastinalien - where I often run polls for fun!

[danguy96]

In Light of Recent Events Regarding Magneto and HYDRA

 So, apparently, as I’ve recently heard, in the new Secret Empire series of comic books, Magneto, a villain well-known to be Jewish, is apparently siding with HYDRA in this event. Now, normally, I would be pretty pissed off about this, and, truth be told, until more information comes out (though, I doubt that will change anything, I still think that without a good explanation, this is pretty stupid. However, on the other hand, as some of you may know, I’ve actually grown pretty sick and tired over the whole “everyone I don’t like and I disagree with is a Nazi/Nazi sympathizer” (this doesn’t mean I condone or like Nazis, it just means that I don’t like hysteria), so I’ve started to try to practice not reacting to every single thing by becoming hysterical, and I just wanted to state my thoughts on this and give a somewhat quick history of HYDRA’s in-universe backstory for both the movies and the comics, and why there’s more to it than it just being a “Nazi/Neo-Nazi organization”. I hope you all don’t mind my commentary (also, just to let you know, I also learned about this stuff from other articles and research, and I do sort of paraphrase in places, but these are still my own thoughts).

 First off, I’m going to cover the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of HYDRA first, because that will take less time to explain than the long, convoluted history of it’s comic book counterpart. When they first appeared in the MCU, they were indeed once a part of the Third Reich’s advanced science branch, and received funding from them. However, the Red Skull recognized that in order to extend HYDRA’s influence and power, he and the organization would have to cut ties to Hitler and Nazi Germany (and in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, despite being a Nazi himself and adopting most of the Third Reich’s Social Darwinist theories into HYDRA, even the Red Skull kind of thought that Hitler’s “master race” theory was full of shit), and so, after acquiring the Tesseract/Cosmic Cube, Red Skull and HYDRA went rogue and planned to overthrow and betray Nazi Germany once the Allies had lost, and it’s quite possible they would be even worse than Hitler and his goons were if they got their way. 

 After the Red Skull’s defeat and the fall of Nazi Germany, however, HYDRA seemed to transcend their Nazi roots, though they still retained their totalitarian and authoritarian goals with the belief that humanity could not be trusted with it’s own freedom and must be subjugated for it’s own good. When looking back on the events of the war, Armin Zola concluded the whole “German master race” thing didn’t really work and also concluded Hitler’s methods were pretty dumb and inefficient, even for HYDRA’s standards. Though they gave up working for the Nazis after their fall, they did manage to extend HYDRA’s reach into the Soviet Union (something that would’ve been impossible if they remained full-on Nazis and all of the Nazis beliefs), and, secretly, into the U.S. and SHEILD. As I said before, the HYDRA in the MCU’s present-day doesn’t seem to care that much about what your genetics say or if you have “Aryan” ancestry, and is more focused on just world domination. Hell, they move away even further from them originally being just Nazis, when it’s revealed in Agents of SHIELD that the MCU version of HYDRA has roots that actually extend back centuries and to alien influence, and that the original Nazi organization was just the latest incarnation of the group, similar to it is in the comics.

 Speaking of which, it’s about time I summed up the long history of HYDRA from the original comics, and I’ll start off with when it was first created in real life. HYDRA was originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in 1965, and first appeared in Strange Tales #135 (August 1965). While their inspirations from the Nazis was pretty blatantly evident in their early appearances (with them being under the leadership of guys who worked for the Nazi Party, Baron von Strucker and Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull), as various writers delved in their history and backstory Nazi connection sort of started to dwindle and become more vague until, even in early stories, the current incarnation of HYDRA was revealed as an organization which had roots in Imperial Japan. True, they worked alongside the Nazis during WWII, but they’ve always sort of had their own agenda. Their last remaining connection to outright Nazism, Baron von Strucker, was even shown to be a fugitive who allied his version of HYDRA with Germany's Third Reich in a grab for power before betraying them. Fleeing with the Red Skull, Strucker quickly abandoned Schmidt to join forces with a Japanese criminal organization also using the HYDRA name, because even he thought Red Skull was a monster. Though Strucker remained a constant part of Hydra until recent years, his ideology became less about Aryan supremacy and more about his own thirst for power. Later stories further retconned and clarified Strucker’s origins and motivations, placing him as the head of Hydra locked in a war with S.H.I.E.L.D. and other super-spy groups. The elements of totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism still remained at Hydra’s core, but it sort of really wasn’t driven by white supremacy and racial hatred that much anymore. 

 But Hydra as a Japanese crime syndicate isn’t where the organization’s story begins, because in recent additions to HYDRA’s backstory, it turns out the group’s history spans over millions of years, including the Third Dynasty of Egypt, and has alien origins.  According to Jonathan Hickman's S.H.I.E.L.D. mini-series, which explored the secret history of the Marvel Universe (for better or worse), Hydra’s roots go back to before humans evolved, when a Before the evolution of mankind, a cabal of immortal hooded reptilian aliens came to Earth, planning to start a legacy of evil (it’s comic books, just roll with it). Millions of years later, they corrupted an Asian secret society of geniuses known as the Brotherhood of the Spear. They were opposed by a group called “The Order of the Shield” (get it, SHIELD?). Over the centuries, the Order of the Spear grew and changed, eventually becoming HYDRA – an organization that was revived in the early 20th Century in Imperialist Japan with ideals based on world domination inherited from their ancient alien masters. They also included the real life Cathari Sect and the real life Thule Society, which is where the Nazis came into the picture. You see, after the end of World War II, the Nazi sub-group of HYDRA, funded by the Thule Society, was brought into the main HYDRA fold, thus explaining how the likes Baron von Strucker and the Red Skull came to join and lead their ranks. 

 Currently in comic books, Hydra has splintered into several separate factions , but there are two main groups: one led by Baron Zemo, who has been trying to control what’s left of the old HYDRA, and leading a much more Darwinist version of the secret society based on survival of whomever HYDRA deems the fittest to live (usually its own members) - and one being built from the ground up, led by the Red Skull, who has returned to Nazi beliefs, and, for the first time in modern continuity, has introduced a philosophy of neo-Nazism and white supremacy into HYDRA (a move which I feel was supposed to be “topical” and “relevant”, but comes off as preachy and forced, as well as a move which over-simplified and misrepresented certain issues, something which Marvel has been terribly guilty of over the past few years).

 So, to answer, “Is HYDRA a Nazi organization?” Well, the answer is yes, and no. While it is clear that HYDRA’s original real world roots are planted in the idea of neo-Nazi terrorists, for a good portion of their history, they’ve also served the role as your run-of-the-mill supervillain terrorist organization, associating themselves with all kinds of tyrants and criminals throughout history, usually with whatever is considered a threat in real life at the time of when the story is written. 

 Now, going back to Magneto, do I think it’s a good move for him to join HYDRA? Of course I fucking don’t! Even if they’re not technically a Nazi organization anymore, he’d still hate their guts for associating with the Nazis, and he’d especially hate the like of the Red Skull. However, the important thing to remember is that while Magneto is a Holocaust survivor and a tragic figure, he’s also a character who has sought out the domination and/or extermination of humans several times in the past, as he is meant to show that if we allow ourselves to be consumed with hate and revenge, we end up being no better than the people we hate. Yes, he’s had a couple of changes of heart over the years, but still, it’s important to note that Magneto is no saint, either, even if isn’t as bad as the Red Skull (at least in the 616 universe). Still, I don’t think that Magneto would join HYDRA unless there was a reason, like him getting something out of it (though, I do think he would be wary in case they planned to double cross him), or if he was forced to do it for some reason, or if he was mind controlled, the last of which may possibly be the case (Captain America was basically brainwashed into thinking he’s a HYDRA sleeper agent, so I’m not gonna rule out the possibility of that being the big “twist”). Though, something to note is that the brainwashed Cap is currently planning with Baron Zemo to kill Red Skull and depose him from HYDRA (I take it that Zemo probably doesn’t really like how Red Skull is trying to bring back full-on Nazi ideology into HYDRA, even if they fascist terrorists, at least I assume/head-canon that, because it makes the books a tiny bit more tolerable, but not by much), and that Secret Empire looks like the result of his success in that endeavor, so one of my predictions is a combination of brainwashing to bring Magneto into the group, as well as him being a part of the anti-Red Skull faction.

 The one thing I’m shocked at is that I’m probably one of the few people who sees it less as “anti-Semitism” (and believe me, anti-Semitism is a problem, but I don’t looking for it everywhere I see), and more for what it really is; a cheap gimmick made to make people talk about it, even when the story itself hasn’t been released yet. Marvel wants this kind of reaction. They want dozens of articles, blog posts, tweets, and videos fueled by anger and controversy, just like they wanted this reaction from the Hydra!Cap fiasco. If they can’t sell comics by promoting them, then they decide to sell them and get people to talk about them based on controversy. I bet you that when the actual story comes out, it’s gonna end up being one of those things explained away with “it was brainwashing/magic/whatever”. I wasn’t surprised when it turned out to be the case with Hydra!Cap, and I’m not gonna be surprised if that it turns out to be the case with Hydra!Magneto. 

 I feel the best way to “protest” this is to not give in to this obvious publicity stunt like Marvel wants, and just not talk about and give it no attention when the story actually does come out, and then wait until the dust has settled to talk about. Speaking of which, as i said before, this outrage is sparking before the story even officially comes out or is even finished, and while I did just say that we shouldn’t give attention or make any puff pieces about it until the story arc is over with, I still say we should wait until the actual story comes and we learn everything about it (for better or worse), before critiquing it. When it finally does come out and we a whole lot more about it, then we can complain for (hopefully) good and/or justifiable reasons.

I’m sorry that this was long as shit, because I originally didn’t mean it to be like this long. I just really, really get annoyed when people simplify HYDRA as a “nazi/neo-Nazi organization”, because that just show signs of either not knowing a good amount of comic book history, or showing that you don’t actually read comics. I’m not condoning or “apologizing” for Nazism or white supremacism in any way, it’s just that I’m giant nerd who doesn’t like it when people make glaring mistakes and are ignorant of comic book history. Though, to be fair, it is a common misconception, made by both casual fans and even writers who don’t know comic history (something which they definitely should learn), but it still grind my gears when anyone makes any sort of big mistake regarding comic books (just see the numerous times I had to remind people that Harley Quinn isn’t exactly an innocent, quirky little cinnamon roll, when especially after she blows up children with bombs). 

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Avengers Characters: Every Playable Hero in the Game

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Earth’s Mightiest Heroes take center stage in Marvel’s Avengers, the new loot-based action-adventure game from Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix. The game gives fans control of several of Marvel’s greatest heroes as they take on an evil tech corporation known as Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), which has supplanted superheroes with its own robot army. Disbanded after a terrible disaster that claimed the life of Captain America, the heroes have to find a way to come together again to take down this new threat to the world and bring back the age of heroes to the Marvel universe.

Marvel’s Avengers features a diverse cast of heroes and villains, including cult-favorite baddie George Tarleton, better known as the superhuman and ugly force of nature MODOK. During your adventure, you’ll also meet former Ant-Man Hank Pym, have a run in with the Abomination, take on Taskmaster, get interviewed by Marvel’s top TV reporter Phil Sheldon, team up with SHIELD commander Maria Hill, and foil Monica Rappaccini’s evil experiments with terrigen gas and gamma radiation.

This big cast of characters — yes, Nick Fury is here, too! — makes Crystal Dynamics’ version of the Marvel universe feel complete and lived in. It’s clear that there’s a lot of history between these characters, as showcased by the game’s prelude tie-in comics, and it’s fun to watch all of these Marvel characters interact with each other throughout the story campaign.

With quite a few playable characters to choose from at launch, here’s a rundown of the game’s heroes, a little bit about their backstory in the game’s universe, and the sorts of powers and abilities you can expect from them:

Iron Man

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 (1963)

If you enjoy zipping around the sky, high above the action, to rain down hell on your enemies, then Iron Man will definitely be your favorite character in this game. Equipped with a combination of long-range and close-range attacks, Iron Man provides a pretty balanced combat experience as long as you’re able to figure out the flying mechanics. You’ll definitely spend more time up in the air as this hero than any other.

If you’ve read the comics or watched the movies, you know that Tony Stark is a fast-talking and cocky tech mogul who always comes armed with a funny quip as well as a few explosives. But when his tech and weapons fall into the wrong hands at the start of the game, Tony decides to retreat from the world in shame, giving up his life as Iron Man.

Iron Man is voiced by Nolan North.

Thor

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #83 (1962)

Thor is definitely more of a melee character, wreaking havoc on any AIM soldiers that dare get in his way. Armed with the powerful Mjolnir, Thor’s every move packs a punch and feels weighty. The god of thunder’s elemental powers also deliver devastating AoE damage. He’s definitely a character you’ll choose when you want to get into the baddies’ faces.

The god of thunder is also much more regal than the rest of the heroes and carries himself as true Asgardian royalty. That said, he’s still a fish out of water on Earth, which leads to some pretty funny situations in the game.

Thor is voiced by Travis Willingham.

Captain America

First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 (1941)

Cap is the ultimate hero: brave, strong, kind, and always willing to put the lives of others over his own. He’s the leader of the Avengers for a reason and he inspires the rest of the characters to do their absolute for those they protect. So when Captain America tragically dies during a terrorist attack executed by Taskmaster, it’s not surprising that the superhero team falls apart. Without the world’s greatest hero, what hope does the planet have?

A scrappy brawler who uses punches and kicks to break through the enemy line, Captain America’s melee gameplay is complemented by his shield, which can auto-target baddies and take them out in one throw.

Captain America is voiced by Jeff Schine.

Black Widow

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #52 (1964)

A gritty spy who isn’t exactly friendly but also has a heart of gold, Black Widow is your go-to hero for mid-range attacks as well as a nice mix of gravity-defying martial arts kicks. She packs dual pistols that do quite a bit of damage, especially after she levels them up with special status effects. Black Widow also has a very cool trick up her sleeve: an ability that grants her and the rest of the team invisibility for a short amount of time, perfect for when you’re surrounded by enemies and want to make quick work of them.

Black Widow is voiced by Laura Bailey.

Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel

First Appearance: Captain Marvel #14 (2013)

Avengers superfan Kamala Khan is the heart of the game’s story. After the terrorist attack unleashes the terrigen mist on the citizens of San Francisco, Kamala is forever altered, transformed into an Inhuman with incredible shape-shifting powers. But when AIM declares war on the Inhumans they believe to be a threat to the planet, Kamala is forced to keep her powers a secret — until one day she decides that Tarleton and his tech corporation must be stopped. Her plan? Reassemble the Avengers.

Kamala truly plays unlike any of the other heroes, her stretchy powers providing perhaps the most fun you’ll have in the game. Swinging around with her stretchy arms never gets old and her embiggening ultimate ability is the perfect way to turn the tide of any fight. She’s honestly the best.

Kamala Khan is voiced by Sandra Saad.

Hulk

First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962)

No one smashes things like the Hulk. Using this hero’s special rage meter in a fight means very bad news for the bad guys, as he punches and stomps his way through the ranks of AIM cannon fodder. Hulk can grab enemies, swing them around, or use their fragile bodies to hit other bad guys with. Best of all, you can pretty much wreck whole environments with the Hulk, who rarely holds back his strength. You’ll also do a fair amount of platforming as the big guy, which is unexpected but works well enough.

Like in the recent MCU movies, Bruce Banner feels very conflicted about the Hulk at the start of the game. He doesn’t really want to turn into the Hulk anymore but increasingly finds himself in situations that require him to go green. Together with Kamala, the two make a pretty charming duo early on in the story, as they try to solve the mystery behind Cap’s death.

The Hulk is voiced by Darin De Paul and Troy Baker (as Bruce Banner).

Coming Soon

The following characters are scheduled to be released some time after the game launches as DLC:

Kate Bishop/Hawkeye

First Appearance: Young Avengers #1 (2005)

Kate Bishop, the third Hawkeye in the comics, is working with SHIELD and is on a mission to find Clint Barton, the first Hawkeye, who has been captured by AIM. Initially a member of Marvel’s teenage superhero team, Young Avengers, Kate has joined the main Avengers team on several occasions in the comics.

Kate will be the first post-launch hero to join the roster, bringing new story missions, gear, and abilities with her.

Clint Barton/Hawkeye

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (1964)

The original Hawkeye will follow Kate. The announcement trailer for Kate Bishop also revealed that Clint has cut some sort of deal with AIM and seems to be working with the tech corporation. Of course, it’s likely that not all things are as they seem.

Spider-Man

First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)

Spider-Man will swing his way to Marvel’s Avengers in 2021, and it’s no surprise that many fans are already anxious to play as the friendly neighborhood webslinger. There’s just one catch: not every one with a copy of Marvel’s Avengers will get the chance to play as Spider-Man.

As revealed in August, Square Enix is releasing Spider-Man as an exclusive character for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game. This means that Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia players won’t be able to play as Spider-Man at all when he finally launches. The good news is that PlayStation users will get the Spider-Man Marvel’s Avengers DLC at no additional cost to them.

Black Panther

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52 (1966)

Crystal Dynamics teased a future Black Panther DLC that could bring T’Challa to the game at a later date. It seems that the studio originally planned to announce the character right before launch but it decided to delay the reveal out of respect for Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther star who sadly passed away in late August.

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[jillmckenzie1]

Does Whatever A Sequel Can

This review will thoroughly spoil Avengers: Endgame. Proceed at your own risk.

 Stan Lee used to talk about “the illusion of change.” It was a concept they used at Marvel Comics, and I imagine it’s still in use today. If you’re a comic book writer for one of the major publishers, you have a very fine line to walk. You need to make it seem as if the life of your character is changing, but have them remain essentially the same.

For example, Peter Parker starts off as a geeky high school kid. He has trouble dating. He never has quite enough money to do much of anything. While big-time superheroes like The Avengers enjoy fame and adulation, Peter has to deal with newspaper headlines about his costumed alter ego reading, “SPIDER-MAN: THREAT OR MENACE?”* He’d move on to college, move on to a job, yet the same problems would swirl around him. The core of Peter Parker in the comics was a good guy constantly getting crapped on by the universe when he either avoids his obligations or doesn’t balance them properly.

That’s the way superhero comics functioned traditionally. These days, film in general, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in particular, can’t operate the same way. Audiences are by and large savvier. They expect character development in tandem with their thrills, and if they can’t get it theatrically, they only have hundreds of options to pick from through streaming services.

If you’re a cog in the vast machinery of the MCU, you have one chance to get it right. So how are you supposed to follow up an extinction level event and the deaths of some very popular characters in Avengers: Endgame? Simple — you take a vacation. Spider-Man: Far From Home is about exactly that, the idea that everyone needs a breather after big stuff happens, but the real world is always there waiting for you.

We can appreciate why Peter Parker (Tom Holland) needs a break. Just when he’s starting to get comfortable juggling his life as a high schooler with his career as a crimefighter, a shouty purple guy named Thanos arrives on Earth and poofs half of all life out of existence. This is known as The Blip, and Peter is one of those people. Five years later, he’s resurrected along with everyone else, just in time to be plunged into an apocalyptic battle. Thanos is defeated, but Peter watches his mentor Tony Stark die. Poor Pete has to acclimate himself to a world that’s moved on without him. Everywhere he goes, he sees reminders of what he’s lost.

The good news is, his school has put together a two week trip to Europe. This is a golden opportunity for Peter. He’ll have a chance to tourist up, hang with his pal Ned (Jacob Batalon), and confess his growing attraction to M.J. (Zendaya). His Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) thinks the trip is a good idea and suggests he might consider bringing along his Spider-Man duds. Just in case.

Pete isn’t feeling the jumping and thwipping while he’s on vacation and politely declines. He also politely and repeatedly declines the phone calls from super-spy Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who thinks Peter would be a dandy recruit. Why? It turns out there are reports of rampaging elemental creatures across the globe. Complicating matters is the arrival of the enigmatic Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), also known as Mysterio. He explains that he’s from an alternate universe, one where the elementals destroyed his world. He says he’s here to help. Fury believes him, and orders Peter to assist.

Did I also mention that Peter is bequeathed a stylish pair of glasses from Tony Stark? Code-named “EDITH,” these shades give Peter absolute control over all of Stark’s A.I. and technology. It’s keeping in character that this was a Very Bad Idea on the part of the late Stark.** Now, Peter must juggle destructive elementals, a mysterious ally, a Nick Fury who doesn’t respect personal boundaries and finding just the right moment to tell M.J. that he’s kinda crushing on her. All in a day’s work, right?

If Avengers: Endgame was a multi-course feast capping off the MCU, Spider-Man: Far From Home is the mint. Instead of sturm, drang, and bittersweet endings, this film acts as a palate cleanser. It puts a period on Phase Three of the MCU in a way that’s light and very funny.

Returning from Spider-Man: Homecoming is director Jon Watts. He’s one of the best fits in the MCU, as he’s able to balance comedy, creative action, and a smidge of intrigue, all without too much of a sacrifice in terms of pacing. While Homecoming maintains a tight focus throughout, Far From Home occasionally meanders. The first half feels slightly too cutesy, but Watts never allows it to meander too much, and he’s able to nab our attention with cleverly shot action sequences. There are a couple of moments of heavy surrealism plucked directly from the comics that I adored. He’s stitched together a high-school comedy and a summer blockbuster, and everything fits cleanly. Plus, I liked that we’re not confronted with world-ending stakes again.

Writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna also return, and like a number of films in the MCU, they have an occasional bad habit of undercutting moments of emotion with a quip. It’s a minor annoyance, considering how strong their approach toward character is. The core of Spider-Man is the idea that with great power comes great responsibility. Go back and watch the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films, and you’ll see Tobey Maguire playing a guy either consumed with guilt or resenting his bad luck. That approach fits the character, especially during his early days. In Far From Home, Sommers and McKenna shade that concept of reacting to responsibility differently. Their Peter will immediately deal with obligations in the short-term but frequently blow them off in the long-term. Here, Peter is a little more innocent, a little more wistful, a little more like a teenager fumbling into adulthood.

Everyone in Watts’ cast has a moment to shine. Zendaya does nice work as the deadpan M.J., using intelligence and snark as an emotional shield. As Mysterio, Jake Gyllenhaal is having a blast. He’s playing a blend of the cool uncle for the benefit of Peter, and a guy who’s a little too sure of himself. Tom Holland isn’t given a moment with the same kind of power as the one in Avengers: Infinity War, but he doesn’t need one. This isn’t that kind of movie, and his Peter is a charming and likable kid who wants to do the right thing but is cursed with being a tiny bit of a flake.

Granted, Spider-Man: Far From Home lacks the blazing creativity of last year’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. That’s okay! Along with a couple of hugely entertaining post-credits scenes, the film cements the character of Peter Parker while pointing him in an intriguing direction for the future. It looks like there’s real change on the horizon. I can get behind that.

  *I always loved how in the comics, The Daily Bugle was Fox News before Fox News.

**Before you treat that as a poorly written subplot, consider that the MCU has established a precedent in which Tony Stark impulsively has ideas that are equally brilliant and idiotic.

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